Latest news with #Connexus
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Neuralink competitor Paradromics successfully completes first brain implant in human
Neurotech startup Paradromics has completed its first brain implant after nearly three years of preclinical studies. The company, which is developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) platform, successfully inserted its brain implant into a patient and safely removed it after about 10 minutes. The successful insertion of the company's brain-computer interface, dubbed Connexus, was led by Dr. Matthew Willsey of the University of Michigan, alongside Dr. Oren Sagher and a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and engineers, on May 14. It's a major milestone for the brain-computer interface startup, which is only a decade old. Paradromics was founded in 2015 by CEO Matt Angle, who believes that his company is on a mission to transform untreatable brain health conditions into solvable technology problems. Austin-based Paradromics is aiming to restore speech and communication in people with spinal cord injuries, strokes, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The device was implanted during epilepsy resection surgery—when the area of the brain causing seizures is disconnected or removed—to study how epilepsy influences brain signaling. The device is designed to translate neural signals into synthesized speech, text, and cursor control. Paradromics has been testing its implant in sheep for the past few years. This is the first time the company has used the device in a human patient. The compant expects the devices will retail for $100,000. A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a system that provides a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. The term 'brain-computer interface' was coined in 1973 by Jacques Vidal, a computer scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who proposed that electrical signals in the brain might one day be used to control prosthetic devices. Since then, researchers have been studying BCIs, continuously improving and designing systems that connect neurons to the digital world. In 2003, a team at Duke University demonstrated that monkeys implanted with microelectrode arrays could consciously control robotic arms. A year later, a young athlete named Matt Nagle became the first paralyzed person to benefit from BCI technology. Using a BCI, he was able to control a computer cursor and move a prosthetic hand. Paradromics' successful trial implant of its brain-computer interface in a human for the first time sends positive signals, as the race to lead the brain-computer interface space heats up. It's a sign that Paradromics is moving closer to the commercial development of its BCI system. Elon Musk's Neuralink, perhaps the most well-known name in the field, is also working to connect human brains directly to computers. As of April, three patients have received Neuralink's brain implant. Once regulators give the go-ahead, Paradromics plans to launch a clinical trial later this year to study the long-term safety and effectiveness of its technology in humans. Last year, Paradromics CEO told CNBC that the company expects to receive commercial approval to sell the product before the end of the decade.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Paradromics implants brain-computer interface into first human patient
June 2 (UPI) -- Paradromics, a competitor of Neuralink, announced Monday it safely implanted a brain-computer interface into a human patient and recorded neural activity, before removing it 10 minutes later. The surgical procedure, performed May 14 at the University of Michigan, marks the first time Paradromics has temporarily implanted its device -- called Connexus -- into a human with the goal of restoring neural signals in patients with spinal cord injuries, stroke or ALS. Until last month, the Austin-based startup had only implanted and tested the device on sheep. "We've shown in sheep that our device is best in class from a data and longevity standpoint, and now we've also shown that it's compatible with humans," Matt Angle, Paradromics founder and chief executive officer, told CNBC. Last year, Elon Musk's Neuralink became the first to implant a brain-computer interface into a human patient. Noland Arbaugh, who was paralyzed in an accident in 2016, received "the Link" implant in January 2024. Since then, Arbaugh has been using it for up to eight hours a day and is able to do a variety of digital tasks. Brain-computer interface companies Precision Neuroscience and Synchron, which is backed by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, have also implanted their systems into humans. While brain-computer interfaces interpret neural signals associated with movement, they do not read thoughts. Connexus, which is smaller than a dime and has 420 small electrodes, is embedded directly into the surrounding brain tissue. Paradromics' BCI records brain activity at the level of individual neurons. "By having proximity to the individual neurons, you can get the highest-quality signal," said Angle. The patient, who received last month's Connexus implant, was already undergoing neurosurgery to treat epilepsy and consented to the research, allowing doctors to temporarily implant the device into their temporal lobe. "There's a very unique opportunity when someone is undergoing a major neurosurgical procedure," said Angle. "They're going to have their skull opened up, and there's going to be a piece of brain that will be imminently removed. Under these conditions, the marginal risk of testing out a brain implant is actually very low." While Paradromics' Connexus implant is still being reviewed by regulators, research institutions such as the University of Michigan are allowed to use the devices as long as they prove there is no significant risk to the patient. "You do all of these steps, you validate the hardware, you have this really high degree of rational certainty that things are going to work," Angle said, "but still emotionally when it works and when it happens the way you expected it to, it's still very, very gratifying."
UPI
4 days ago
- Business
- UPI
Paradromics implants brain-computer interface into first human patient
Paradromics, a competitor of Neuralink, announced Monday it safely implanted a brain-computer interface into a human patient last month at the University of Michigan, and recorded neural activity before removing it 10 minutes later. Photo by University of Michigan June 2 (UPI) -- Paradromics, a competitor of Neuralink, announced Monday it safely implanted a brain-computer interface into a human patient and recorded neural activity, before removing it 10 minutes later. The surgical procedure, performed May 14 at the University of Michigan, marks the first time Paradromics has temporarily implanted its device -- called Connexus -- into a human with the goal of restoring neural signals in patients with spinal cord injuries, stroke or ALS. Until last month, the Austin-based startup had only implanted and tested the device on sheep. "We've shown in sheep that our device is best in class from a data and longevity standpoint, and now we've also shown that it's compatible with humans," Matt Angle, Paradromics founder and chief executive officer, told CNBC. Last year, Elon Musk's Neuralink became the first to implant a brain-computer interface into a human patient. Noland Arbaugh, who was paralyzed in an accident in 2016, received "the Link" implant in January 2024. Since then, Arbaugh has been using it for up to eight hours a day and is able to do a variety of digital tasks. Brain-computer interface companies Precision Neuroscience and Synchron, which is backed by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, have also implanted their systems into humans. While brain-computer interfaces interpret neural signals associated with movement, they do not read thoughts. Connexus, which is smaller than a dime and has 420 small electrodes, is embedded directly into the surrounding brain tissue. Paradromics' BCI records brain activity at the level of individual neurons. "By having proximity to the individual neurons, you can get the highest-quality signal," said Angle. The patient, who received last month's Connexus implant, was already undergoing neurosurgery to treat epilepsy and consented to the research, allowing doctors to temporarily implant the device into their temporal lobe. "There's a very unique opportunity when someone is undergoing a major neurosurgical procedure," said Angle. "They're going to have their skull opened up, and there's going to be a piece of brain that will be imminently removed. Under these conditions, the marginal risk of testing out a brain implant is actually very low." While Paradromics' Connexus implant is still being reviewed by regulators, research institutions such as the University of Michigan are allowed to use the devices as long as they prove there is no significant risk to the patient. "You do all of these steps, you validate the hardware, you have this really high degree of rational certainty that things are going to work," Angle said, "but still emotionally when it works and when it happens the way you expected it to, it's still very, very gratifying."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's Neuralink is getting more competition
A brain-computer interface (BCI), a fusion of man and machine, has sparked human imagination since the Industrial Revolution. This week, the small field of BCI developers — which includes Elon Musk's Neuralink — was joined by Texan company Paradromics, who successfully installed its Connexus BCI in a patient undergoing epilepsy resection surgery at the University of Michigan. The Connexus BCI, which is smaller than a dime, uses AI to translate brain signals at the neuron level into physical movement, including communication, for people with severe motor impairments due to ALS, strokes, or spinal cord injuries. After three years of preclinical trials in sheep, Paradromics said that this human trial 'demonstrated Connexus can be safely implanted, record electrical brain signals, and be removed intact in less than 20 minutes, using surgical techniques familiar to neurosurgeons worldwide.' It requires further approval at the clinical level before it can be commercialized. The Texan company is the primary U.S. competitor of Neuralink, which completed three BCI surgeries in 2024. 'We are now a clinical-stage company,' said Paradromics CEO Matt Angle, who co-founded the company ten years ago. He added that the company plans 'several' similar surgeries in 2025. Meanwhile, Chinese state-owned NeuCyber NeuroTech plans to implant its brain chip in 13 people by the end of the year, they announced in April. Other BCI competitors include Synchron, backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, and Precision Neuroscience, founded by former Neuralink employees. Only Neuralink and Paradromics have BCIs that connect to brain tissue; Synchron's enters via a blood vessel, and Precision Neuroscience's sits on top of the brain. Proximity to individual neurons, as Paradromics' Connexus has, is considered key for high-quality, high-resolution signals that aid in speech in particular. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
WIRED
4 days ago
- Health
- WIRED
A Neuralink Rival Just Tested a Brain Implant in a Person
Jun 2, 2025 8:00 AM Paradromics, a brain-computer interface startup, inserted its brain implant in a person—briefly—in an early test of its technology. On the right, a BCI (brain-computer interface) device is shown being held by a surgeon. Courtesy of the University of Michigan Brain-computer interface startup Paradromics today announced that surgeons successfully inserted the company's brain implant into a patient and safely removed it after about 10 minutes. It's a step toward longer trials of the device, dubbed Connexus. It's also the latest commercial development in a growing field of companies—including Elon Musk's Neuralink—aiming to connect people's brains directly to computers. With the Connexus, Austin-based Paradromics is looking to restore speech and communication in people with spinal cord injury, stroke, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS. The device is designed to translate neural signals into synthesized speech, text, and cursor control. Paradromics, which was founded in 2015, has been testing its implant in sheep for the past few years. This is the first time it has used the device in a human patient. The procedure took place on May 14 at the University of Michigan and was conducted in a person who was undergoing brain surgery to treat their epilepsy. The patient gave their consent for the Connexus device to be temporarily inserted into their temporal lobe, which processes auditory information and encodes memory. To implant the device, surgeons used an EpiPen-like instrument developed by Paradromics. Researchers were then able to verify that the device was able to record electrical signals from the patient's brain. 'There's a very unique opportunity when someone is undergoing a major neurosurgical procedure,' says Matt Angle, CEO of Paradromics. 'They're going to have their skull opened up, and there's going to be a piece of brain that will be imminently removed. Under these conditions, the marginal risk of testing out a brain implant is actually very low.' Paradromics' implant is smaller than the size of a dime and has 420 tiny protruding needles that are pushed into the brain tissue. These needles are electrodes that record from individual neurons. Similarly, Neuralink's implant also sits in the brain tissue. (By comparison, it has more than 1,000 electrodes distributed across 64 thin, flexible threads.) Other BCI companies are taking less invasive approaches. Precision Neuroscience, for instance, is testing an implant that rests on the surface of the brain, and Synchron has developed a device that goes in a blood vessel and rests against the brain. Both of these devices collect signals from groups of neurons, rather than individual ones. 'By having proximity to the individual neurons, you can get the highest quality signal,' Angle says. Getting a high-resolution signal from the brain is important for accurately decoding a person's intended speech. BCIs do not directly 'read' a person's private thoughts. Instead, they work by interpreting the neural signals associated with movement intention. A BCI like the one Paradromics is developing would, for instance, decode the facial movements involved in talking. A person with paralysis who cannot move their mouth can still attempt to make that movement, which produces unique neural signals in the brain. Those signals are then decoded into speech. In 2023, groups from Stanford University and UC San Francisco reported major advances in speech decoding using BCIs. In two women with paralysis, brain implants were able to decode intended speech at rates of 62 and 78 words per minute. For comparison, people speak at around 130 words per minute. Paradromics is hoping to achieve similar results. The company plans to launch a clinical trial by the end of the year in patients with paralysis. Those participants would have the device implanted long-term. 'Bringing a new medical device to the market is really tough, and especially with a fully implantable brain device like they are designing,' says Justin Sanchez, a neurotechnology researcher at Battelle, an Ohio-based nonprofit focusing on tech. 'When you're at that early stage in the regulatory process, you want to put it in a human brain, and you want to make sure that it receives the signals it should be receiving.' For the past 20 years, an implant called the Utah array was the mainstay of BCI research. Resembling a miniature hairbrush with 100 spikelike electrodes, it has allowed people with paralysis to control robotic arms, move a computer cursor with their thoughts, and produce synthesized speech. But that device requires a pedestal on top of the head to connect to outside devices. It can also degrade over time and damage brain tissue. Paradromics, Neuralink, and others are all trying to improve upon that early array with longer-lasting materials, less obtrusive designs, and more electrodes to capture more data. Matt Willsey, the University of Michigan neurosurgeon who led the procedure, says more electrodes could allow BCIs to have better performance and more functionality. Eventually, Angle says, the company plans to study the feasibility of implanting up to four of its devices in the brain, which would mean even more recording ability. But first, it has to establish that one Connexus device is safe in a longer study. That comes next. 'This is really just a test of getting everything to the operating room, figuring out the procedure for the implant, making sure it stays operational and making sure they can remove it,' says Jennifer Collinger, a BCI researcher at the University of Pittsburgh. 'It's a nice dress rehearsal.'
