Latest news with #Paradromics
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
3 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
3 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."
NBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- NBC News
Elon Musk's Neuralink raises $650 million in fresh capital
Elon Musk's brain tech startup Neuralink has closed a $650 million funding round, the company announced Monday. ARK Invest, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners and other firms participated in the round, according to a press release. Neuralink said the fresh capital will help the company bring its technology to more patients and develop new devices that 'deepen the connection between biological and artificial intelligence.' Neuralink is building a brain-computer interface, or BCI, which is a system that translates brain signals into commands for external technologies. The company's first system, called Telepathy, involves 64 'threads' that are inserted directly into the brain. The threads are thinner than a human hair and record neural signals through 1,024 electrodes, according to Neuralink's website. The initial aim of the technology is to help patients with severe paralysis restore some independence. As of Monday, five patients have been implanted with Neuralink's technology, and are able to 'control digital and physical devices with their thoughts,' the release said. Neuralink is currently carrying out four separate clinical trials around its Telepathy system. BCIs have been studied in academia for decades, and several other companies, including Synchron, Paradromics and Precision Neuroscience, are developing their own systems. Paradromics on Monday announced it successfully implanted its BCI in a human for the first time. It's not clear what devices Neuralink will look to develop next, but Musk has for years espoused grand ambitions for the brain tech startup. He has even claimed that he would be willing to get an implant himself. One of the capabilities Musk has repeatedly highlighted is the ability to restore vision to blind patients. Neuralink received a 'Breakthrough Device' designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a device called Blindsight. This designation is granted to medical devices that have the potential to provide improved treatment for debilitating or life-threatening conditions. In a post on his social media platform X in September, Musk said Blindsight will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see. Neuralink still has a long road ahead before it can commercialize these technologies.
CNBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Elon Musk's Neuralink raises $650 million in fresh capital
Elon Musk's brain tech startup Neuralink has closed a $650 million funding round, the company announced on Monday. ARK Invest, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners and other firms participated in the round, according to a release. Neuralink said the fresh capital will help the company bring its technology to more patients and develop new devices that "deepen the connection between biological and artificial intelligence." Neuralink is building a brain-computer interface, or a BCI, which is a system that translates brain signals into commands for external technologies. The company's first system, called Telepathy, involves 64 "threads" that are inserted directly into the brain. The threads are thinner than a human hair and record neural signals through 1,024 electrodes, according to Neuralink's website. The initial aim of the technology is to help patients with severe paralysis restore some independence. As of Monday, five patients have been implanted with Neuralink's technology, and are able to "control digital and physical devices with their thoughts," the release said. Neuralink is currently carrying out four separate clinical trials around its Telepathy system. BCIs have been studied in academia for decades, and several other companies including Synchron, Paradromics and Precision Neuroscience are developing their own systems. Paradromics on Monday announced it successfully implanted its BCI in a human for the first time. It's not exactly clear what devices Neuralink will look to develop next, but Musk has for years espoused grand ambitions for the brain tech startup. He has even claimed that he would be willing to get an implant himself. One of the capabilities Musk has repeatedly highlighted is the ability to restore vision to blind patients. Neuralink received a "Breakthrough Device" designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a device called Blindsight. This designation is granted to medical devices that have the potential to provide improved treatment for debilitating or life-threatening conditions. In a post on his social media platform X in September, Musk said Blindsight will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see. Neuralink still has a long road ahead before it can commercialize these technologies.
