A BCI is a direct communication pathway between the electrical activity of the brain and an external device, such as a computer.
While research in to BCI technology has been on the go for many years, these clinical trials involving a device created by the medical tech company Synchron represent a watershed moment in the US.
The device known as the Stentrode is an electrode mesh array implanted via the jugular vein. The device allows patients with severe paralysis to communicate through brain signals alone.
The Stentrode’s signals are wirelessly transmitted to a computer interface to allow patients to control electronics devices such as smartphones and tablets.
According to a report in Digital Trends, clinical trials in Australia have seen patients able to send Whatsapp messages and make online purchases. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted 'breakthrough device' designation to Synchron in August of 2020 and on July 6, 2022, the first US patient received a Stentrode.
Outside of medical uses, a number of companies are developing BCI technology for use in consumer electronics. In late 2020, for example, the tech start-up Next Mind began shipping a visual BCI product which utilizes an electroencephalography (EEG) headset with dry electrodes.
Founded by cognitive neuroscientist Sid Kouider, Next Mind offers their product as a dev kit to make neurotechnology accessible to a wider audience of developers.