Implants in the brain were once considered science fiction but now some companies are starting to race to make them a reality. Synchron an Australian company has been developing Stentrode for the past six years. Stendrode is a brain-computer interface (BCI) that is inserted into the body through the blood vessels of the neck without the need for a hole to be drilled in the skull.
In a clinical trial on four patients in Australia, no negative effects were detected with no clogging issues or Stendrode implants changing location. With success in Australia, clinical trials are now being expanded to severely paralyzed patients at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York. Patients are expected to be able to control electronic devices by simply thinking without any touch.
The goal of clinical trials is to enable implant recipients to perform daily tasks independently, control devices, send texts, do online shopping, send emails and access telemedicine services.
Synchron is seen as Elon Musk's Neuralink head competitor but it is more forward -looking as it has already done clinical trials on humans earlier.
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