Synchron has installed a permanent neural interface in the human brain

American Synchron successfully performed first permanent installation operation neural interface Stentrode to a US patient. This is a “brain-computer” neural interface that allows people who are paralyzed or have lost limbs to independently control equipment and be more independent.

The device, which looks like a strange piece of wire, is inserted endovascularly. That is, the patient is not drilled a hole in the skull, but the electrode is gently inserted through a vein until it reaches the desired area of ​​the brain. An electrode consisting of a mesh material with 16 sensors attached to it is connected to an implant already in the chest. This implant will transmit commands received from the brain to a computer or other connected device.

Synchron has previously tested the safety of the long-term use of Stentrode: in 2021, it was implanted for 12 months in four volunteers from Australia. The participants of the experiment were able to write messages, communicate by e-mail, make purchases online and use telemedicine services, and did not find any deviations in the operation of the device.

In the future, devices like the Stentrode could be used to diagnose and treat damage to the nervous system, including Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression and hypertension. It is also planned to expand the list of non-medical applications of such systems.

Mass implantation of such neural interfaces has not yet been reported, but Stentrode has already received FDA approval, which made permanent implantation possible.