Synchron’s Stentrode device expands inside a blood vessel on the brain to relay motor signals [Illustration courtesy of Synchron]
Synchron
New York City-based Synchron believes it has charted a better path into the brain for brain-computer interface (BCI) implants.
Instead of open-brain surgery, Synchron uses a catheter system to deliver its Stentrode BCI via blood vessels. After it’s placed in the brain’s superior sagittal sinus, the device senses brain signals through the walls of the blood vessel and relays them to a wireless transmitter in the patient’s chest.
Q&A: Catheter delivery could enable better brain implants: Synchron’s neuroscience chief explains how
Synchron announced its first minimally invasive implantation of a BCI in a human patient this summer. The procedure launched Synchron’s Command trial under an investigational device exemption from the FDA to assess the safety and efficacy of a permanently implanted BCI.
A previous Synchron safety study in Australia found no serious adverse events one year after implantation in four paralyzed ALS patients, which allowed them to control a computer for online shopping, banking and text communication without using their hands or voice for input.
Elon Musk has shown interest in Synchron as it appears to be closer to regulatory approval than his competing Neuralink, confidential sources told Reuters.
