In the future, a 30-minute brain implant procedure may be the answer to curing paralysis

By 2026, more patients could join the trial.

China has become the second country in the world to start human trials of its brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.

The first procedure was conducted on a 37-year-old man who was involved in a high-voltage electrical accident that took place 10 years ago. Due to the accident, the man lost all four of his limbs.

Researchers implanted the man’s brain with a device and electrodes back in March. After that, he was able to control a cursor on a screen, which allowed him to use a computer and play chess.

The small-scale trial is aimed at patients who are paralysed or have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). They plan to expand it with as many as 40 participants by next year.

Interesting Engineering reports that the trial is conducted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ (CAS) Centre for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, in collaboration with Huashan Hospital at Fudan University in Shanghai.

The deep brain stimulation electrode, created by the CAS research center, is 26 mm in diameter and 6 mm thick, or around 1/100th the width of a human hair. In terms of thickness, it is around one-fifth of Neuralink’s electrode, according to the academy’s professor, Zhao Zhengtao.

The professor also noted that the electrode is highly flexible and that it was designed in a way that barely affects the patient’s neurons.

Every electrode tip includes 32 sensors to detect brain signals, allowing it to exist within brain tissue without causing the immune system to reject it.

To ensure the technology's safety, it was first tested on mice and macaques. Inserting the electrode into the skull took surgeons around 30 minutes. Before the operation, they also made a 3D map of a patient’s brain. A real-time navigation technology was also used to show scientists where to position the electrode.

The team's next step is to teach the patient to control a robotic arm, which would help him grasp and hold various objects.

In the future, the technology could be used to treat a number of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's, ALS, or stroke.