Brain Computer Interfaces & connected medical devices

Probe insertions generate inflammatory responses to acute tissue injuries and the introduction of foreign bodies, known as “foreign body response” (FBR). Chronic neuroprosthetic implants in rats at 16 weeks in contrast to 8 weeks have been shown to increase neuronal and dendritic loss, correlate with tau hyperphosphorylation seen in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, and impede regeneration and recording of activity surrounding the device (McConnell et al., 2009). Assessments of acute proinflammatory events and chronic progression have largely centered on histological analyses of non-neuronal central nervous system (CNS) cells such as microglia, astrocytes and oligodendroglia, including their contribution to neuroinflammation and glial scars.

Paradromics has achieved a significant breakthrough in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, marking a pivotal moment for neurotechnology and the future of communication for people with severe motor impairments. On May 14, at the University of Michigan, the Texas-based startup completed the first successful human implantation of its Connexus BCI, signalling its entry into clinical-stage operations and intensifying the race among neurotech innovators.

Currently, I am testing PiEEG-24 . So measure 24 EEG channels with  RaspberryPi (Low-cost and Open-Source). So measure EEG, EMG, EKG, and EOG data with RaspberryPi, and easy adapt Python SDK for your costume project and for research.

Paradromics, une entreprise spécialisée dans les interfaces cerveau-ordinateur, a annoncé avoir « inséré avec succès » son dispositif, baptisé Connexus, dans le cadre d’un test préliminaire de sa technologie. Le système a été retiré au bout d’une dizaine de minutes.

A man with a severe speech disability is able to speak expressively and sing using a brain implant that translates his neural activity into words almost instantly. The device conveys changes of intonation when he asks questions, emphasizes the words of his choice and allows him to hum a string of notes in three pitches.

We demonstrate ultraflexible micro-endovascular (MEV) probes that can be precisely delivered through the blood vessels in the neck into sub-100-micrometer scale vessels in rat brains (Fig. 1AOpens in image viewer). In vivo electrophysiology recording of local field potentials and single-unit spikes has been selectively achieved in the cortex and olfactory bulb. The flexible probe/vessel wall/brain interface exhibits minimal inflammatory response and long-term stability.

Bloomberg announced that Neuralink will be raising its next round at a valuation of $8.5B. Nice work DJ Seo and team! For those of you wondering what this means for the larger BCI industry, I have created a thoughtful infographic.

If finalized, the round would bring Neuralink’s post-money valuation to around $9 billion, marking a significant leap from its $3.5 billion valuation in November 2023, based on PitchBook data. Discussions with potential investors are still ongoing, and terms could shift, insiders caution.

The open blast rat model used focuses on direct blast effects and injuries of the brain. The blast would result in a short standing energy wave that progressed with very high energy through the whole brain, resulting in direct lesions and spalling and shearing effects. Blast loads create very brief acceleration durations that may cause distinct neurophysiological outcomes. We used our existing patented PEG-HCCs with antioxidant properties to treat oxidative stress caused by TBI [22]. Previous studies have indicated that PEG-HCCs can recover and maintain the brain’s structural and homeostatic environment by reducing neuronal and glial cell death. In this study, we found PEG-HCCs to significantly ameliorate neuronal loss in the brain cortex, the dentate gyrus, and hippocampus and to improve blood–brain barrier integrity.

The merger brings together Neurolutions’ BCI technology and Kandu Health’s telehealth services to try to improve stroke patients’ outcomes after they leave hospital.

In 2034, the first person landed on Mars. While she didn’t go there physically, she still experienced the planet intimately. She explored an ancient river delta and built a base. She put up a flag (China’s) and conducted a detailed analysis of rock samples. She achieved all this by inhabiting a robot via a sophisticated brain-computer interface. Some people claimed the woman had – in a real sense – been to Mars.

In a world where wearable tech is tracking every heartbeat and step, a new tool is redefining how we interact with our biology. Meet the PiEEGKit – a compact, open-source bioscience lab you can carry in your backpack. Designed for students, researchers, tech enthusiasts, and curious minds alike, this innovative device puts brain and body signals into your hands—literally.

While hippocampus represents spatial information through place cells for body navigation, whether motor areas employ a similar framework to guide hand reaching remains unknown. Here, we investigate tuning properties in dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) during naturalistic reach-and-grasp tasks in four monkeys. We find that 22% (132/601) of PMd neurons increase firing rates when the monkey’s hand occupies specific positions in space, forming the position fields. These cells represent the hand position highly efficiently, achieving ~80% accuracy for decoding hand trajectories with only 50 most dedicated position tuned cells ( ~ 10% of all recorded neurons).

Much of the recent progress has been based on advances in our ability to map the brain, identifying the various regions and their activities. A range of technologies can produce insightful images of the brain (including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET)), while others monitor certain kinds of activity (including electroencephalography (EEG) and the more invasive electrocortigraphy (ECoG)).

The Georgia Tech blog also mentions that this tiny new sensor uses conductive polymer microneedles to capture electrical signals and conveys those signals along flexible polyimide/copper wires. In addition to this naturally flexible construction the implant device is less than a square millimeter.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance to the Layer 7 Cortical Interface — a high-resolution cortical electrode array for use in recording, monitoring, and stimulating electrical activity on the surface of the brain.

The study investigates complications associated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, analyzing patient demographics, surgical techniques, and outcomes. It identifies factors influencing complications such as pneumocephalus, infection, and hemorrhage, aiming to improve patient selection and surgical strategies for better outcomes.

The company has partnered with Nvidia to develop “cognitive AI,” which it says will allow people with severe physical disabilities to have more natural interactions with the world around them.

BCIs can’t solve AI alignment. The problem isn’t bandwidth. it’s behavioral control. AI is on an exponential compute trajectory, while human cognition—no matter how enhanced—remains biologically constrained. Even with BCIs, we would still think at a snail’s pace compared to AGI (and ASI??). AI safety depends on governance & oversight, not plugging into our brains. Alignment must be addressed in a paradigm where humans will never fully comprehend every model output or decision. This represents the grand challenge of our time, yet it is not one that BCIs will fix.