Brain-Computer Interface for Paralysis

August 7, 2022

By: Audrey Chan

For those who suffer from spinal cord injury, stroke, or multiple sclerosis, a common and incurable result of these conditions is paralysis. Synchron, a biotech company with a focus on the brain, has taken the initiative to develop a brain-computer interface implant, known as Stentrode, that would allow paralyzed patients to overcome paralysis by taking control of the digital world.

The company performed its first brain-computer interface implant on July 19, 2022. The procedure represents a pivotal technological milestone for brain-computer interface implants and is the first of its kind to use a minimally invasive approach (doesn't require open surgery). The whole implant starts at an entryway in a vein in the neck. Using a catheter, the Stentrode is directed through the jugular vein (veins in the neck) and onto the cerebrum (top part of the brain responsible for receiving and processing conscious sensation, generating thought, and controlling conscious activity). The sensors of the Stentrode are built onto a stent that expands, hugging the walls of the jugular vein while also allowing blood to pass through. As time passes, cells grow onto the sensors, incorporating them into the tissue. Since the sensors are located near the motor cortex, patients can activate their motor cortex by simply thinking. The signals from the sensors are transferred from the brain, through the jugular vein, and into a device in the chest. This device continuously collects brain signals and transfers them to an external computer, connecting the brain directly to an external computer, allowing a paralyzed patient to have full autonomy over the computer without using a single muscle.

The ultimate goal Synchron is working towards is making Stentrode restore independence by allowing paralyzed patients to control keyboards, mice, bionic limbs, or even a vehicle simply by thinking. “This is an incredibly exciting milestone for the field, because of its implications and huge potential,” said Dr. Majidi, the neurointerventional surgeon who performed the Stentrode procedure.

Works Cited

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“Synchron Announces First Human U.S. Brain-Computer Interface Implant.” Business Wire, 19 July 2022, www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220719005248/en/Synchron-Announces-First-Human-U.S.-Brain-Computer-Interface-Implant.

“Synchron Stentrode: Brain-Computer Interface for Paralysis.” YouTube, uploaded by Synchron Inc, 13 June 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZlIL0iI1Sg.

“Business Wire.” Business Wire, 19 July 2022, www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220719005248/en/Synchron-Announces-First-Human-U.S.-Brain-Computer-Interface-Implant.