Researchers in China have officially announced a significant breakthrough in Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology, featuring a paralysed patient who was able to operate a wheelchair, browse the internet, and remarkably achieved mind-control over external devices just days after surgery.
According to euro news, the 28-year-old man was paralysed by a cervical spinal cord injury for eight years and has been able to control devices using only his mind just five days after undergoing implant surgery in China.
The successful completion of the country’s first clinical trial
The advancement forms part of the country’s first clinical trial of a fully implanted, wireless, and fully functional brain- computer interface (BCI).
BCIs connect a person’s nervous system to devices that understand their brain activity, allowing them to perform actions- such as using a computer or moving a prosthetic hand-simply through their intentions.
In this connection, Professor Mao Ying, the president of Huashan Hospital at Fudan University said: “He can control household appliances and even operate his wheelchair-all of this can be achieved.”
The world’s smallest and least invasive implantable BCI
The device unveiled by Shanghai NeuroXess, uses 64 electrodes-each just 1 per cent the width of a human hair-making it one of the most minimally invasive implantable BCIs in the world.
The electrodes are embedded in the brain, while the controller, battery, antenna, and processor are situated beneath the skin of the chest.
Additionally, an external wireless charging dock, similar to a phone charger, allows the device to be charged and used independently.
Zhang Xu, a neuroscientist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: “The built-in battery is a crucial step in achieving sustained power supply; long-term usability is a key consideration for applying this technology to the human body.”
The experts are confident that these devices could revolutionize the lives of millions globally living with paralysis.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink is one of the most well-known, with more than 10,000 people eagerly signing up for Neuralink’s patient registry in hopes of participating in clinical trials.
