Paradromics, a neurotech startup and competitor to Elon Musk’s Neuralink, announced it has successfully implanted its brain-computer interface (BCI) in a human for the first time. The procedure is a critical step for the company, which secured a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s NEOM earlier this year, as it moves into its next phase as a clinical-stage company.
Quick Facts
- First human BCI implant successfully completed.
- The procedure took place at the University of Michigan.
- Company is backed by a partnership with Saudi’s NEOM.
A 20-Minute Procedure Signals New Clinical Era
The procedure was conducted on May 14 at the University of Michigan with a patient already scheduled for neurosurgery to treat epilepsy. During that surgery, Paradromics’ device was implanted and removed from the patient’s brain in approximately 20 minutes.
The company confirmed the test demonstrated that its system can be safely implanted and effectively record neural activity. Following this success, Paradromics plans to begin a clinical trial later this year to study the long-term safety and application of its technology, pending regulatory approval.
“We’ve shown in sheep that our device is best in class from a data and longevity standpoint, and now we’ve also shown that it’s compatible with humans,” Paradromics founder and CEO Matt Angle told CNBC. “That’s really exciting and raises a lot of excitement for our upcoming clinical trial.”
The Saudi NEOM Connection
For the MENA tech community, Paradromics’ progress is particularly relevant. In February, the company announced a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s NEOM. While the investment amount was not disclosed, the collaboration positions Paradromics as a key player in the region’s growing focus on advanced health-tech and biotechnology. This first human implant validates a technology that has direct ties to one of the Gulf’s most ambitious projects.
How the Connexus BCI Works
A brain-computer interface is a system that interprets brain signals and translates them into commands for external devices. Paradromics’ system, the Connexus Brain-Computer Interface, is initially designed to help patients with severe motor impairments, such as paralysis, to communicate through a computer.
Angle explained the company’s high-resolution approach by comparing it to placing microphones inside a stadium versus outside. While microphones outside would only capture the crowd’s roar, those inside could pick up individual conversations. Paradromics aims to record brain activity with similar precision at the level of individual neurons. Other prominent companies in the BCI space include Synchron, backed by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, and Precision Neuroscience, both of which have also implanted their systems in humans.
About Paradromics
Founded in 2015 by Matt Angle, Paradromics is a neurotechnology company developing high-data-rate brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). The company’s mission is to create technology that can restore communication and mobility for people with conditions such as paralysis, blindness, and other neurological disorders.
Source: CNBC
