Last month, a device was implanted into a person's brain, although instead of being used for bigger-than-life gaming, it is to better access technology for those needing it.
Billionaire and Valve owner Gabe Newell previously said the brain-to-computer devices would be great for creating immersive games and coined the phrase "meat peripherals" for the limbs of humans, a PC Gamer report specified.
This first brain-computer interface, or the so-called BCI, comes from Synchron. It is an endovascular device that does not necessitate invasive brain surgery to be implanted.
The point of this tech invention is to allow patients with severe paralysis to control digital devices hands-free. This means that this device is literally moving a mouse cursor using thoughts alone.
First-In-Human Implant of an Endovascular BCI in the US
According to Synchron founder Tom Oxley, the first in-human-implant of an endovascular BCI in the US is a major milestone in a clinical setting that opens up new possibilities for patients with paralysis.
He also explained that their technology is for the millions of individuals who have lost the capability of using their hands to control digital devices.
According to a WIRED report, Oxley discussed the company's aims with the device, and essentially, it "comes down to how limited" an individual's access to modern computing technology, which is crucial for most people's everyday lives, is the absence of average motor function.
He continued explaining that once installed, this device would enable a person to interact with a PC, for instance, and that could make a big difference in the level of independence.
The big step for BCIs, though, according to Synchron, is not s much the newly invented device, although how easy the procedure is to install it, one which most neurosurgeons are very familiar with.
A Budding Technology
This brain-to-computer device has been demonstrated to be safe up to 12 months after it was embedded in a trial in Australia, and the company wants to implant it in at least 15 patients in 2022.
Oxley also said the implant would cost approximately as much as a car, although it did not get any more specific.
The Neuralink of Elon Musk is yet another BCI technology headed to clinical trials. Certainly, there is a fairly long history to this particular technology, although things have appeared to have fast-tracked in the last ten years, a separate report from PC Gamer indicated.
Undoubtedly, with this budding technology comes apprehensions of what it might result in or who could benefit from it. However, it is apparently looking to benefit a few people who need it today.
Oxley explained that he wants the world to understand that BCI helps people. He added there appears to be a theme around the possible negative aspects of this technology or where it might go, although the reality is that people need this technology, and it is needed right now.
Related information about brain implants is shown on The BCI Guys' YouTube video below:
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