China achieves world’s first interventional BCI on human to treat a 67-year-old male patient suffering from left side paralysis.
A Chinese research team led by Nankai University has achieved a major breakthrough in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology by conducting the world’s first interventional BCI experiment on a human patient.
The innovative and minimally invasive procedure enabled a 67-year-old male patient, who had suffered left-side paralysis due to a cerebral infarction, to regain key limb functions such as grasping objects and taking medication.
Unlike the invasive brain surgery used in Elon Musk’s Neuralink trials, this method avoids opening the skull. Instead, researchers implanted a stent electrode through the neck’s blood vessels into the cranial vascular wall, using high-precision imaging technology.
In addition, a wireless system for transmitting signals and supplying power was placed under the patient’s skin to collect and relay brain activity data.
According to the Nankai team, the implanted system has worked smoothly post-surgery, without complications like infections, and has delivered stable and accurate brain signal readings for interactive control.
Lead researcher Professor Duan Feng explained that the technique offers reduced surgical risk, high precision in signal collection, and faster recovery times compared to traditional methods.
Duan said the achievement opens the door for broader adoption of BCI applications and provides new hope for patients suffering from motor impairments such as those caused by strokes.
This human trial follows the team’s earlier success in 2023 when they carried out the world’s first interventional BCI test on non-human primates.
The researchers plan to expand their clinical trials by enrolling more patients and developing additional rehabilitation approaches in the near future.
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