Implants that use tiny electrodes to read or specifically stimulate the firing of neurons in the brain could improve the quality of life for many people in the future. The vision: Those who have neurological limitations, are paralyzed or blind should be able to walk, communicate or see again thanks to such brain-computer interfaces (BCI). There are already first reports of success.
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However, implanted BCIs in humans have so far only been used in a few cases, usually in the context of scientific studies. After all, surgical interventions in the head harbor risks – and the implants that have been used up to now are stuck in the brain tissue like tiny nail boards. They can cause inflammation and scars, which also affects the electrical contacts and thus the performance of the implants.
The start-up Precision Neuroscience from New York wants to remedy the situation and has developed an implant that is said to be flexible and gentler on the brain. According to the company, it can also be implanted in a minimally invasive manner and can map the brain waves several hundred times more precisely than the previous versions. It was recently tested on humans for the first time. A scientific publication on this is still pending.
According to the company, the flexible implant is about one square centimeter small and five times thinner than a hair. It can be pushed between the brain and the top of the skull through a millimeter-thin incision and positioned itself there by itself. The electrodes only lie on top and do not penetrate the tissue. In addition, they can act in two directions, not only detecting brain signals, but also stimulating neurons by sending electrical impulses into the brain.
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The novel brain-computer interface was tested at West Virginia University’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (WVU RNI) on three patients whose skullcaps had to be opened for tumor surgery anyway. The implant was in contact with the brain for around 15 minutes. During this time, the interface was able to read out, record and map the neuronal activity. “It’s a remarkable achievement that brain activity was mapped in real time and at such a high resolution. It’s like watching the patient’s brain think,” says WVU researcher Peter Konrad, who led the study .
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The scientific leader of the start-up is the neurosurgeon Benjamin Rapoport. He co-founded Elon Musk’s company Neuralink in 2017, but left after a good year. Neuralink also works on brain-computer interfaces, has already let monkeys play mind pong in the media and only recently received approval from the US health authority FDA for tests on humans. However, Neuralink is heavily criticized for suspected violations of animal welfare requirements.
Testing applied for at the US authority FDA
Two years ago, Precision Neuroscience tested the safety of its implant on miniature pigs from Göttingen (the name of the breed). According to a publication on the preprint server bioRxiv, the tests were successful. The brains of the animals were not damaged, it says there.
Next, the New York start-up wants to apply to the FDA for permission to test the flexible implant in humans for up to 30 days. According to the company, the neuron activities recorded during longer measurements could provide new insights into the functioning of the brain and help, among other things, in the diagnosis of tumors and epilepsy. However, the long-term goal is to develop technical solutions for people with neurological diseases and disabilities.
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