Disabled person able to move with brain chip developed by Chinese scientists

Disabled person able to move with brain chip developed by Chinese scientists

The chip was implanted in the brain of a human patient in October 2023 / Photo courtesy of Tsinghua University

Elon Musk recently declared that the first-ever implant of a computer chip in a human brain has been accomplished by his business, Neuralink.

But Chinese scientists have developed an even better wireless computer interface and claim to implant it in the human brain.

Scientists at Tsinghua University announced that the device they developed has been tested in a human patient whose condition is improving rapidly.

The device was implanted in the patient's brain during a human clinical trial in October last year.

The device is named Neural Electronic Opportunity (NEO) and after its installation, the disabled patient has been able to move his hands through his thoughts.

According to the researchers, their device is better than Neuralink's chip because it doesn't risk damaging neurons.

It should be noted that a brain-computer interface enables direct communication between the electrical activity within the brain and an external device such as a computer.

These technologies facilitate communication and recovery for patients who are entirely paralyzed, according to the experts.

The device is implanted in the skull and was created by Chinese researchers. It is roughly the size of two coins.

It has no battery but is charged with near-field wireless power using a high-frequency camera.

According to the researchers, the electrodes of the gadget were inserted into the membrane that separates the brain from the skull rather than the actual neural tissue.

These electrodes send nerve signals to an external receiver attached to the scalp, and then a phone or computer decodes the signals.

According to the researchers, a new approach has been tested in our system compared to Neuralink, BrainGate and other brain-computer interface manufacturers.

The system was developed 10 years ago and then tested on animals, with approval to begin human clinical trials in early 2023.

The recipient of the new brain implant was rendered totally incapacitated fourteen years prior following a spinal cord damage he had in a car accident.

3 months after the device was installed he is able to lift a bottle with his hand.

The researchers said that with the help of machine learning algorithm, the patient will be able to eat and drink by himself very soon.

Further research work will be done on the device, after which experts will try to get approval for its general use.