BCIs & Neurotechnology News and Discussions

[Time_Traveller]

Brain chips: the Sydney researchers ‘miles ahead’ of Elon Musk’s Neuralink

Sat 16 Mar 2024 19.00 GMT

Brain-computer interface technology is at the core of movies such as Ready Player One, The Matrix and Avatar. But outside the realm of science fiction, BCI is being used on Earth to help paralysed people communicate, to study dreams and to control robots.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk announced in January – to much fanfare – that his neurotechnology company Neuralink had implanted a computer chip into a human for the first time. In February, he announced that the patient was able to control a computer mouse with their thoughts.

Neuralink’s aim is noble: to help people who otherwise can’t communicate and interact with the environment. But details are scant. The project immediately sounded alarm bells about brain privacy, the risk of hacking and other things that could go wrong.

Dr Steve Kassem, a senior research fellow at Neuroscience Research Australia, says “tonnes of grains of salt” should be taken with the Neuralink news. It is not the first company to do a neural implant, he says. In fact, Australia is a “hotspot” for related neurological research.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/202 ... rain-chips

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[Powers]

[caltrek]

Mount Sinai is First in New York to Study a Brain-computer Interface Designed to Record and Map the Brain’s Activity in Unprecedented Detail
March 22, 2024

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) A multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons and neuroscientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai are the first in New York to study a new brain-computer interface that’s engineered to map a large area of the brain’s surface, in real time, at resolutions hundreds of times more detailed than typical arrays used in neurosurgical procedures.

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a system that deciphers brain signals and translates them into commands for external technologies. The ultimate goal of a BCI is to restore function to patients with debilitating neurological conditions by enabling them to operate digital devices using only their thoughts.

The Layer 7 Cortical Interface, developed by Precision Neuroscience Corporation, contains 1,024 tiny electrodes spanning an area of 1.5 square centimeter, embedded in a flexible film that conforms to the brain’s surface. The film is one-fifth the thickness of a human hair and was designed to be implanted and removed by neurosurgeons without damaging brain tissue.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1038708

[weatheriscool]

Universal brain-computer interface lets people play games with just their thoughts
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-uni ... -play.html
by University of Texas at Austin

Imagine playing a racing game like Mario Kart, using only your brain to execute the complex series of turns in a lap.

This is not a video game fantasy but a real program that engineers at The University of Texas at Austin have created as part of research into brain-computer interfaces to help improve the lives of people with motor disabilities. More importantly, the researchers incorporated machine learning capabilities with their brain-computer interface, making it a one-size-fits-all solution.

Typically, these devices require extensive calibration for each user—every brain is different, both for healthy and disabled users—and that has been a major hurdle to mainstream adoption. This new solution can quickly understand the needs of an individual subject and self-calibrate through repetition. That means multiple patients could use the device without needing to tune it to the individual.

[weatheriscool]

Synchron Begins Planning Brain Chip Human Trials
The company hopes to attract dozens of volunteers for testing as it seeks FDA approval.
By Ryan Whitwam April 10, 2024

The biological and the technological do not naturally intermingle, but several biotech startups are trying to change that by developing a brain-computer interface (BCI). Elon Musk's Neuralink is possibly the most well-known brain chip company, but a competitor called Synchron may be closer to commercial success. Having completed a small-scale human study, Synchron is now seeking volunteers for a full clinical trial that could earn the company regulatory approval to begin selling the chips.

Computers can help anyone get things done, but the stakes are higher for disabled people who can't use a mouse or touchscreen efficiently. Simply being able to move a cursor can open up a world of technological assistance, and a BCI can help even those with no limb mobility interact with a computer. Synchron has thus far implanted its chip in 10 patients (six in the US and four in Australia) and has seen them gain the ability to type up to 16 words per minute using the BCI link.

According to CEO and founder Tom Oxley, a large-scale study is the next step, and Synchron is ready to undertake this effort as soon as the FDA gives the green light. The company has set up a registry for patients and medical institutions that are interested in taking part. So far, about 120 clinical trial centers have contacted Synchron. The firm hopes to attract dozens of viable candidates for the trial, which could run for several years before results are reported.

https://www.extremetech.com/science/syn ... man-trials

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Boosting the brain's control of prosthetic devices by tapping the cerebellum
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04- ... ellum.html
by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Neuroprosthetics, a technology that allows the brain to control external devices such as robotic limbs, is beginning to emerge as a viable option for patients disabled by amputation or neurological conditions such as stroke. Cedars-Sinai investigators, in a study published in the journal Science Advances, are believed to be the first to show that tapping the power of the cerebellum, a region in the back of the brain, could improve patients' ability to control these devices.

"Neuroprosthetics have largely tapped the brain's outermost cerebral cortex. The cerebellum has a well-known role in movement but has been ignored in neuroprosthetic research," said Tanuj Gulati, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biomedical Sciences and Neurology and researcher in the Center for Neural Science and Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, and senior author of the study.

"We are the first to record what is happening in the cerebellum as the brain learns to manipulate these devices, and we found that its involvement is essential for device use."

Patients who use neuroprosthetic devices have electrodes permanently implanted in the portion of the brain—usually the cerebral cortex—that controls movement for the function the device is replacing. This technique can be used to help patients control a robotic limb, a motorized wheelchair or a computer keyboard, among other devices.

[weatheriscool]

Scientists Build the First Brain-Like Artificial Synapse
Just like your brain, the iontronic memristor uses salt and water.
By Ryan Whitwam April 30, 2024

A team of physicists from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and Sogang University in South Korea have built an artificial synapse, the biological foundation of the human brain's ability to think and reason. There have been numerous attempts to replicate the way our brains process complex information, but they usually rely on silicon and metal. The synapse designed by the researchers, however, uses good old-fashioned water and sale, just like your brain.

Today's binary computers are incredibly fast at doing math and rendering graphics, but actually thinking is a challenge. The latest artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT and Gemini can give a good impression of critical thinking, but they are, in essence, powerful word calculators. A synapse that works in the same medium as the human brain has a head start when you want to replicate its functionality.

The device at the heart (or is it the brain?) of this study is known as an iontronic memristor. It's tiny, measuring between 150 and 200 micrometers, which is a bit wider than the average human hair. The memristor has a cone-shaped microchannel, which contains a solution of salt (potassium chloride) dissolved in water. When the device receives an electrical signal, ions in the water move up the channel, thus changing the ion density and conductivity of the channel.

https://www.extremetech.com/science/sci ... al-synapse

[Time_Traveller]

Epilepsy patients to be offered ‘game-changing’ laser therapy in NHS rollout

May 6, 2024 10:00 am



The NHS will roll out a “game-changing” new laser beam therapy next month to help reduce seizures for patients with epilepsy.

The cutting-edge fibre optic laser therapy, known as laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), targets the part of the brain causing seizures without the need for invasive surgery.

Up to 50 patients in England each year whose epilepsy cannot be controlled by standard anti-seizure drugs will be eligible.

The treatment involves drilling a tiny hole to allow a 1.5mm-wide probe with a fibreoptic laser at the tip to be inserted into the skull. This reaches and destroys the epilepsy-causing brain tissue from the inside by heating it.

Using an MRI scanner, the clinical team navigate through the brain avoiding blood vessels and other critical structures. They also monitor the temperature of the surrounding areas to make sure healthy brain tissue does not overheat.

https://inews.co.uk/news/epilepsy-patie ... hs-3041985

There are all fascinating kinds of ways to help people with Epilepsy just like me, it really interests me and finding ways to get rid of it for good.

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[firestar464]

Exclusive-Musk's Neuralink has faced issues with its tiny wires for years, sources say

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/topstor ... r-BB1mrx1g

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Scientists Turn Brain Waves Into Spoken Words
It's far from perfect, but Caltech researchers successfully read test subjects' minds.
By Ryan Whitwam May 16, 2024

Despite countless mentalist grifters claiming otherwise, there is no evidence that anyone can read minds. The day might be coming when that changes, though. Scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that it may be possible for a computer to understand words you think about instead of speaking out loud. The early results are spotty but could point the way to reliable thought-based communication.

https://www.extremetech.com/science/sci ... oken-words

[weatheriscool]

Neuralink hopes to get brain implant right on second try
By Joe Salas
May 19, 2024
https://newatlas.com/technology/first-h ... ant-fails/

Noland Arbaugh was in a swimming accident in 2016 that left him a quadriplegic. In January of this year, he became the first person to receive Elon Musk's Neuralink brain implant called the Link that would eventually allow him to have telekinetic powers.

"I didn’t have anything to wake up for in the morning, and this has changed that for me," Arbaugh said in a Good Morning America interview. With the implant, Arbaugh is able to have nearly full control over his computer simply by thinking. Before, he was relegated to tapping his screen with a stylus between his teeth. He says his newfound mind-control ability has completely changed his life for the better.

The Link implant is about the size of a large coin and has 1,024 electrodes on 64 leads, or "threads," that are connected to various parts of the brain that control motor functions. These threads are around 4 micrometers thick (0.00016 inches) and about 20 mm (0.79 in) long; smaller than a human hair. Because of the tiny intricacies, absolute precision is needed when placing the implant. Neuralink developed a special proprietary robot called the R1 to perform the micro-procedure. The needle tips used by the R1 to implant these threads are barely larger than a red blood cell so as to minimize damage to brain tissue during the Deus Ex-like hardware install.

[firestar464]

Brain implant in conjunction with AI app allows nearly mute man to speak in two languages

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05- ... i-app.html

[weatheriscool]

Brain Chip Startup Uses Record 4,096 Electrodes to Read Brainwaves
The Precision Neuroscience microelectrode arrays claim to be less invasive than Neuralink's brain chip.
By Ryan Whitwam May 30, 2024

The race is on to turn thoughts into action—literally. Multiple companies are working toward implantable brain chips that could allow recipients to control a computer just by thinking about it, but the safety of such implants is still uncertain. Precision Neuroscience has announced a record-breaking test of its minimally invasive brain-computer interface (BCI). The company, founded by former Neuralink engineers, says its latest demo recorded data from a human brain using 4,096 electrodes, moving it closer to a viable product.

According to Precision Neuroscience, the test occurred at Mount Sinai Health System in New York as part of a necessary brain surgery. In April 2024, a patient was having surgery to remove a tumor. After the surgical team completed the procedure, the Precision team temporarily implanted four microelectrode arrays, each containing 1,024 electrodes, which adds up to the record-setting 4,096 number.

https://www.extremetech.com/science/bra ... brainwaves

[caltrek]

Revolutionary Brain-to-brain Technology Boosts Brain-computer Interface Performance
June 1, 2024

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) A groundbreaking study from Tsinghua University in collaboration with Imperial College London has unveiled a novel technique that significantly enhances brain-computer interface (BCI) systems by integrating brain-to-brain interactions among users. This innovative approach, detailed in a new study published in the journal Cyborg Bionic Systems, demonstrates the potential for improved BCI performance in applications such as rehabilitation and multitasking devices.

The research, led by Dr. Tianyu Jia and a team of interdisciplinary scientists, explored the effects of social interactions, such as eye and hand contact, on BCI performance during motor imagery tasks—mental simulations of movement without physical execution. The study involved groups of friends and strangers to determine the influence of familiar social connections on neural synchronization and BCI efficiency.

Key Findings:

Enhanced Performance: The presence of a friend and physical interactions like eye and hand contact significantly improved BCI decoding accuracy by fostering stronger brain-to-brain neural synchronization.

Social Interaction Benefits: Participants who engaged in direct eye contact and physical touch with a familiar partner demonstrated greater cortical activation and connectivity, suggesting that social interaction can significantly enhance the effectiveness of BCIs.

Friend vs. Stranger: Remarkably, these positive effects were predominantly observed among friends but not strangers, indicating the importance of pre-existing social bonds in maximizing BCI performance.

Read more of the Eurekalert article here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1046538

Read a presentation of result studies as published in Cyborg and Bionic Systems here: https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/cbsystems.0116

[firestar464]

This injectable gel can help to diagnose brain injury — then it disappears

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01673-6

[weatheriscool]

Neuralink Will Offer Telepathy and then Brain Control of Teslabots
July 10, 2024 by Brian Wang

Neuralink will double the bandwidth of its devices with more accurate placement of the threads into the brain. The next generation device will have 3000 channels. The company’s first system, called Telepathy, centers around 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. They will double the bandwidth with minimal modifications. The next generation device will be about 25-50 times the bandwidth.

They want to go from 10 bits per second to megabits and eventually gigabit is possible.

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2024/07/n ... abots.html

[caltrek]

New Brain-computer Interface Allows Man with ALS to ‘Speak’ Again
August 14, 2024

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) A new brain-computer interface (BCI) developed at UC Davis Health translates brain signals into speech with up to 97% accuracy — the most accurate system of its kind.

The researchers implanted sensors in the brain of a man with severely impaired speech due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The man was able to communicate his intended speech within minutes of activating the system.

A study about this work was published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, affects the nerve cells that control movement throughout the body. The disease leads to a gradual loss of the ability to stand, walk and use one’s hands. It can also cause a person to lose control of the muscles used to speak, leading to a loss of understandable speech.

The new technology is being developed to restore communication for people who can’t speak due to paralysis or neurological conditions like ALS. It can interpret brain signals when the user tries to speak and turns them into text that is ‘spoken’ aloud by the computer.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1054121

[Time_Traveller]

Elon Musk wants to implant millions of people with Neuralink brain chips

4 hours ago

Elon Musk hopes to implant millions of Neuralink chips into people’s brains over the next decade, the tech billionaire has said.

The Neuralink chief executive announced his plans following an update from the neurotech startup that revealed new capabilities of its brain-computer interface.

According to the firm, the second patient to be fitted with the device was able to use it to play first-person shooter games and design three-dimensional objects.

“If all goes well, there will be hundreds of people with Neuralinks within a few years, maybe tens of thousands within five years, millions within 10 years,” Mr Musk wrote on X in response to Neuralink’s blog post.

Neuralink said that the latest participant in its first ever human study of the technology was able to perform new tasks using their thoughts, such as designing 3D objects using computer-aided design (CAD) software.

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/elon ... 00058.html