World’s First Brain Computer Interface, Strentorde : Synchron
World’s First Computer Brain Interface developed by the team at synchron is used to help those who are suffering paralysis, ALS, a person who had lost physical independence.
Stephen Hawking had said that “The Future of communication is Brain computer interface that makes human life better”
Co-founder and CEO Thomas Oxley a neurointerventionist at mount sinai hospital in New York City first got the idea of Stentrode in 2007. Australian startup SmartStent founded by Thomas oxley in 2012, later renamed to Synchron in 2016 had build a Brain computer interface.
Synchron Stentrode was in the Times magazine of “The Best Inventions of 2021”.
FDA(US Food and Drug administration) approved first brain computer interface, Strentrode for clinical trials in US on July 28,2021. Synchron’s main rival Elon Musk’s neurolink is yet to get green light from FDA. The approach of neurolink is to implant micro-scale threads into your brain that needs open brain surgery.
Research on Brain computer Interface is going on for more than two decades and all the possible solutions needs open brain surgery, that is too risky.
Synchron had find a way to reach into your brain without open brain surgery, blood vessels that connects each and every part of the brain.
Working Of BCI (Brain Computer Interface) :-
The Image above shows the working of brain computer interface developed by synhcron.
There are four important things to understand the working of BCI
1. Strentrode :-
The Most important part of this BCI is stentrode, endovascular electrode array 8nm in diameter made up of flexible array called nitinol.
Stentrode in the image have sensors attached at the cross-link that can record the activity from the particular area of the brain called motor cortex. The motor cortex is responsible for planning, control and implementation of voluntary movements.
Stentrode is inserted into Superior Sagittal Sinus in the brain through jugular vein.
There are three pairs of jugular veins — six in total — each of which directs blood from different areas of your head towards your heart. Stentrode is connected to a cable that brings information out of the brain connected to ‘The node’.
2. The Node :-
The node which is also said as tiny antenna is placed under the skin in the chest, shown in first image with the label-2.
The Stentrode is connected with node and it sends raw brain data to this antenna through jugular vein. Node then sends the raw brain data wirelessly to “Axon” the decoder.
3. Axon (Decoder) :-
Axon wirelessly detects the raw brain signals from the node and translates them into standardized digital commands that can be recognized by any bluetooth devices
Engineers at synchron has developed a machine learning algorithm, by analysing the brain signals before and after the specified movement (like clicking, closing hands, pressing down the feet) done by the patients. In this way the axon converts the raw signals to digital commands.
4. Brain.io :-
The hands-free software, that is Mind-controlled computing platform uses the brain signals to perform specified operation like texting your friend, shopping, sending an email, browsing etc.
Human Trial
Synchron had successfully implanted BCI in four patients in australia and the technology is proved to be safe. In US, synchron has completed one trial and begin trials on six severely paralysed patients.
Graham who has ALS disease (A disease that causes loss of muscle control) is the first person to receive the stentrode device, was able to use the laptop hands-free just by thinking and sends an email, read messages, browse through the internet etc.
The other person Philip, lost his physical independence received the stentrode is also able to use the computer easily by this BCI implanted in him, he was able to type message with the help of his thoughts.
All the patients who have received stentrode are now able to use the technology with the help of BCI, making their lives better.
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Synchron, Technology, Stentrode, Brain computer Interface, thomas oxley, world’s first brain computer interface
