After just one month of treatment, a 38-year-old man with a spinal cord injury can now hold a cup and drink water on his own, thanks to brain-computer interface technology.
It represents a significant advancement in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, with Shanghai planning a large-scale clinical experiment and industrial use.
The Shanghai Science and Technology Commission said that three patients in the country have used the pioneering Neural Electronic Opportunity (NEO) gadget, with Dong, the 38-year-old patient, being the first in Shanghai. Huashan Hospital implanted the device in him a month ago.
NEO, a semi-invasive BCI developed in China, was created by Shanghai-based Neuracle Technology Co and Tsinghua University’s biomedical engineering team, directed by professor Hong Bo.
After a car accident four years ago, Dong lost his mobility and hand function.
The procedure involved implanting a coin-sized device in his skull to gather neural data from sensory and motor brain areas. The surgeon placed an external magnetic coil beneath the scalp to facilitate power and signal transfer.
Ti Gong
The NEO device was implanted in the patient at Huashan Hospital in Shanghai one month ago.
Doctors can quickly pinpoint hand motor and sensory brain regions using an online brain function positioning system without waking up the patient during surgery. The entire surgery took an hour and 40 minutes, significantly reducing the time and risk of similar procedures.
NEO is a semi-invasive method, which implies that electrodes are placed outside the cerebral cortex and covered by the scalp to avoid direct contact with brain tissue.
The technology also includes a prosthetic glove that allows the user to manipulate brain signals to execute everyday actions like picking up a cup and grabbing objects.
Dr Mao Ying, president of Huashan Hospital, said the patient had recovered well and was discharged one week after the surgery.
After Dong was discharged, engineers from Tsinghua University’s biomedical engineering team continued to optimize and renovate the NEO device’s algorithm, as each person’s brain algorithm differs. The first week is critical for gathering data in order to build the best appropriate algorithm for the patients.
Dong’s drive for rehabilitation and recovery is strong. He began to receive NEO control in the third week and passed tests on holding a cup and taking an apple in the fourth week with 80 to 90 percent accuracy.
According to the engineers, Dong’s rehabilitation outcome on other training is superior to the other two patients in Beijing who began using the device last year.
Dong has completed the first-phase task, which typically takes 1.5 to 2 months. He only stayed for a month. Scientists believe that Huashan’s high-end surgical competence and the patient’s strong desire contributed to these results.
The first phase of rehabilitation requires three months to fully preserve the effects and Dong’s complete and seamless operation with the system. Then he’ll move on to the second step, which involves mending the spinal nerves, which may take six to nine months.
,https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2412106729/