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China has approved the world’s first invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) implant for commercial medical use, paving the way for a new treatment option to help some paralysis sufferers regain hand movement.
The device, known as NEO, was developed by Shanghai-based Neuracle Medical Technology and is designed to help adults with certain spinal cord injuries who cannot grasp objects but can still perform some movement in their upper arms.
The implant records electrical signals produced by the brain when the patient thinks about moving his hand. Software then decodes the signals and sends commands to the robotic glove, allowing the user to open and close the hand to grasp objects.
Unlike some experimental brain-computer interfaces that place electrodes directly into brain tissue, NEO’s electrodes are under the skull but outside the brain’s protective layer.
The approval marks a significant step in the commercial development of neurotechnology, which seeks to connect the brain with external devices to restore lost function.
It also gives China a head start in the commercial application of invasive brain-computer interfaces, as rival technology developed by Elon Musk’s Neuralink is still under clinical investigation in the United States.
However, NEO has a narrower medical application, targeting specific groups of people with spinal cord injuries. Its approval does not prove that China has surpassed Neuralink or other developers in the broader field of brain-computer interface technology.
Brain-computer interfaces work by detecting and interpreting brain activity to control external devices. Researchers are exploring its potential to help paralysis sufferers communicate, operate assistive technology, and restore movement.
Commercial approval of NEO could mark a transition from experimental brain-computer interface systems toward regulated medical applications, although its benefits and limitations will depend on clinical outcomes and patients eligible to use it.
