China has taken a significant step in the field of medical technology by approving the first commercially available brain-computer interface (BCI) chip aimed at assisting individuals with disabilities. The BCI chip, named NEO and created by Neuracle Medical Technology, enables individuals with paralysis to control an assistive robotic hand through their thoughts.
The coin-sized chip, implanted in the skull, contains eight electrodes that interact with the brain’s movement processing area. By imagining hand movements, users can trigger the chip to send signals to a computer, which translates these signals into actions performed by a prosthesis, such as picking up objects or manipulating utensils.
After successful safety testing over 18 months, China’s National Medical Products Administration has granted approval for individuals aged 19 to 60 with paralysis due to neck or spinal cord injuries to use the NEO device. Notably, the chip has been tested by 32 individuals without any reported adverse effects, setting a promising precedent in the field.
This approval in China comes at a time when other countries like the United States and Europe are moving cautiously with clinical trials for similar technologies. While various companies are also developing brain-computer interfaces, none have received authorization for commercialization as treatments, highlighting China’s progress in this area.
Source: WIRED