For the first time, US neurotech startup Paradromics has successfully transplanted or implanted a human brain. After nearly three years of research on animals, the company conducted the experiment at the University of Michigan in the US on May 14. The successful implant is being considered a major breakthrough in brain computer interface (BCI) technology.
The entire process of inserting and removing the device, known as ‘Conexus’, from the brain takes just 10 minutes. The surgery was performed by a team of doctors and engineers led by neurosurgeons Dr. Matthew Wilsey and Dr. Oren Sagh. Conexus is essentially a BCI device that reads nerve signals from the brain and converts them into language, writing, or computer cursor control. Paradromics is working to restore the ability to speak to people who have lost their speech due to stroke, spinal cord injury, or ALS. This is the first implant in a human body to be used during surgery on an epilepsy patient. The device is temporarily attached to the patient’s brain while the source of the seizure is removed. This gives researchers the opportunity to analyze the neurological changes caused by the disease.
Founded in 2015, Paradromics CEO Matt Angle said they are working to make complex brain diseases that are still considered ‘intractable’ problems solvable through technology in the future. The company has been busy testing BCI technology on sheep for several years. After successful application in humans, they are now preparing for clinical trials. Paradromics said that if it receives the necessary regulatory approval, it will go into full human trials this year. The company hopes to get approval to market the device by the end of this decade. It is estimated that it can be sold commercially for 100,000 US dollars.
Brain Computer Interface or BCI is a technology that allows direct communication between the brain and any external electronic device. This idea was first proposed by Jack Vidal, a computer scientist at the University of California, in 1973. Since then, researchers have been working on the development of BCI technology. In 2003, a study at Duke University in the United States showed that monkeys implanted with microelectrodes could consciously control a robotic hand. In 2004, paralyzed athlete Matt Nagle was able to use a BCI to operate a computer cursor and an artificial hand.
The current top competition in BCI technology is between Elon Musk’s company Neuralink and Paradromics. Neuralink has already implanted its devices in three patients.
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