Without wires
The first wireless brain-computer interface for patients with paralysis has been tested
Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+
The first results of the BrainGate clinical trial were presented for two men who were awake and asleep with the new device during the day. The result was impressive. Scientists are sure that this is an important step towards the real application of technology for immobilized people in everyday life.
To date, scientists have presented results for two men aged 35 and 63 years who were paralyzed due to spinal cord injury. Both participants were able to use the new wireless system at home thanks to the use of wireless data transmission. Unencumbered by wires, the men tested a new brain-computer interface for 24 hours. The results of the experiment are reported on the website of Brown University.
Article by Simeral et al. Home Use of a Percutaneous Wireless Intracortical Brain-Computer Interface by Individuals With Tetraplegia is published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering – VM.
The brain-computer interface decodes the intended hand movements based on neural signals recorded using implanted microelectrodes. Until now, the use of wired systems required laboratory conditions and expert supervision, but now the first results of wireless data transmission demonstrate an important step in the development and application of technology in real life.
"With the help of this system, we can observe the brain activity of a person in a home environment for a long period of time, which was previously impossible," commented the head of the study, Lee Hochberg. Thanks to this achievement, scientists can now continuously work on creating and improving decoding algorithms for more intuitive control of the system.
The data transfer rate in the cable and wireless configurations of the system turned out to be equal. The two devices used in the study together recorded neural signals at a speed of 48 megabits per second from 200 electrodes with a battery life of more than 36 hours.
However, the ultimate goal of scientists is much more ambitious. "Wireless technology has allowed us to obtain important information for the development of a new generation of neural interfaces – fully implanted wireless systems," concluded co–author Arto Nurmikko.
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