Pharma Valley Rising Star | BRC Neurotech: Innovating for Patients with Breakthrough Brain-Computer Interface Technology

Innovative technology is accelerating the transformation of humanity's ultimate imagination of brain-computer interface technology into reality.

In science fiction, the protagonist of "The Matrix" enters the Matrix world through a "brain plug-in" method, traveling between the real and virtual worlds. In the real world, paralyzed patients regain their connection with the world and restore control over their lives after being implanted with a coin-sized brain-computer interface.

(Image source: Neuracle)

In 2023,A patient with a spinal cord injury achieved active grip of the right hand and independent drinking after being implanted with the minimally invasive epidural brain-computer interface (NEO) developed by Neuracle. A year later, another patient completed the first clinical trial implantation surgery of the brain-computer interface product NEO in Shanghai. Early results showed that the patient recovered well.

This year, the NEO clinical trial is still ongoing.

In fact, brain-computer interface is not a new concept. In the 1970s, American neuroscientist Jacques Vidal first proposed the concept of "brain-computer interface," a cutting-edge interdisciplinary technology that enables information exchange between the brain and external devices through neuroengineering methods. In the decades that followed, the industry entered the stage of scientific validation.

However, restricted by the development of neurobiology, sensors, key materials, and components, the early brain-computer interface industry developed relatively slowly. Since the 21st century, with the advancement of brain science and the rise of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, the academic research, clinical applications, and industrial innovation processes in the brain-computer interface field have started to accelerate.

In 2021, Musk showcased a monkey with an implanted brain-computer interface that could play the simple "Breakout" game using brainwaves. This move caused a sensation and brought significant attention to brain-computer interfaces.

It was also in the same year,NeuracleFounded in Zhangjiang Science City, starting the research and development of minimally invasive implantable brain-computer interface products. "In fact, the company's founder & chairman Xu Honglai had already laid out plans in the brain-computer interface field as early as 2012," introduced Dr. Wang, Product Director of Neuracle. "At that time, the company mainly targeted scientific research institutes and medical institutions, launching...Non-invasive brain-computer interface products, such as wireless EEG acquisition systems and transcranial electrical stimulation systems, to meet the innovative needs of scientific research and medical fields."

(Image Source: Neuracle)

After achieving initial success in scientific research and medical fields, the Neuracle team gradually explored the commercialization of brain-computer interface products.In 2021, Neuracle produced the first minimally invasive brain-computer interface prototype in a cleanroom.. From concept to prototype, and from prototype to product, there were many uncertainties in between, but Neuracle has overcome them all.

Neuracle's path of innovation doesn't stop there. "We hope to further decode the human brain and central nervous system, integrate external machine devices, and achieve brain-computer interaction," introduced Dr. Wang. Simply put, when the brain engages in mental activities, it generates brain waves. Brain-computer interface products identify these brain wave characteristics to directly read the brain's intentions, converting them into computer commands that enable interconnectivity between humans and machines or the external environment, even allowing paralyzed individuals to walk.

Companies in and outside China are also exploring the application of brain-computer interfaces in human-computer interaction, rehabilitation, and medical fields through different approaches: non-invasive and invasive. Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces collect brain signals using external devices (such as EEG caps), offering high safety but relatively lower signal quality and accuracy. Invasive brain-computer interfaces directly read brain signals via implanted electrodes, providing high precision and sensitivity, but they carry surgical risks and biocompatibility issues due to their proximity to the brain.

How to balance the risks of the two has become a direction for Neuracle to consider. After in-depth research, the company ultimately decided to develop semi-invasive brain-computer interface products. Semi-invasive means that electrodes are placed through surgery, but the electrodes do not penetrate the cerebral cortex. Instead, they are positioned under the skull and outside the dura mater, like patches. This approach allows for obtaining high-quality signals while minimizing potential damage to the brain.