China's first invasive brain-computer interface clinical trial launched, achieving positive results
"Now I can control the computer with my thoughts. It feels like I can move at will," said the tetraplegic patient involved in China's first-in-human clinical trial of an invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) device.
According to a statement from the center, after just two to three weeks of post-operative training, the patient was able to control electronic devices with his mind, skillfully operating racing games, chess and other programs.
Compared with the neural electrodes used in the invasive BCI system developed by Neuralink, the only company currently in clinical trials founded by Elon Musk, the Shanghai-based CEBSIT holds a leading position in neural interface technology.
Developed and produced by the center's research team led by Zhao Zhengtuo, the neural electrodes of the Chinese team are the smallest in size and most flexible one in the world, with a cross-sectional area only 1/5 to 1/7 that of Neuralink's electrodes and flexibility over 100 times greater. Such strength allows brain cells to barely "perceive" the presence of a foreign object, significantly reducing damage to brain tissue, per the center. These ultra-flexible neural electrodes boast high-density, wide-ranging, high-throughput and long-term stable in-vivo neural signal acquisition capabilities.
The implant, with a diameter of 26 millimeters and thickness less than 6 millimeters, is the world's smallest brain-controlled implant, roughly the size of a coin.
Next, the research team plans to attempt to let the patient involved in the trial use a robotic arm, enabling him to perform physical actions such as grasping and holding a cup in daily life. In the future, the project will also explore controlling complex physical peripherals, such as robotic dogs, embodied intelligent robots, and other intelligent agent devices, to further expand the patient's physical capabilities, according to the center.