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Zhang Tong

Chinese researchers are planning a major clinical trial next year on technology linking the brain directly with electronic devices, according to a report on a Shanghai government social media account.
The brain-computer interface (BCI) technology was developed in China and was implanted successfully in three patients, said the report posted on the Shanghai Science & Technology account on the weekend.
One of the recipients was a 38-year-old spinal cord patient in Shanghai who had not been able to stand and had lost hand function since a car accident four years ago.
“The results are even better than we expected,” the report quoted Mao Ying, head of the National Centre for Neurological Disorders, as saying.
The implant is called Neural Electronic Opportunity (NEO), and is a collaboration between Neuracle Technology and a team headed by Hong Bo at Tsinghua University’s biomedical engineering department.
Mao, who is also director of Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, was part of the team conducting the implantation.


During the operation in November, the coin-sized BCI device was embedded into the patient’s skull to collect neural signals from the sensory and motor areas of the brain. An external magnetic coil, attached to the device through the scalp, supplied power, transmitted signals, and updated algorithms.
Unlike Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which uses implanted chips in the brain, NEO takes a semi-invasive BCI approach. While the procedure requires cranial surgery, the electrodes are placed outside the brain cortex, avoiding direct contact with brain tissue.
Using a prosthetic glove, the patient in Shanghai could control brain signals to pick up and set down a water cup, as well as open a bottle cap and drink water.
“The patient’s recovery was smooth, and improvements were very noticeable,” Mao said.
It was the first time surgeons had used an “online brain function localisation system” which allowed the team to rapidly and precisely locate the hand motor/sensory brain regions, cutting the time needed for the procedure.
“The entire surgery only took 1 hour and 40 minutes,” Mao added.
The two previous implantations took place in Beijing last year and involved paralysed patients who were able to use the technology to independently drink water and move a computer cursor.
In August, NEO became the first BCI product to enter China’s “green channel” for special approval of innovative medical devices. It is expected to be available for clinical use by 2027.
Shanghai Science & Technology is the social media account of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission.
Another report on the online account quoted Hong as saying NEO would undergo large-scale clinical trials from next year, with plans for at least 30 implantations across the country.
The announcement of the trial was made at the BCI Society and Chen Institute Joint BCI Meeting held in Shanghai on Friday and Saturday.
In China, universities are the main drivers of BCI research, which requires investment to make the leap from the laboratory to the market.
The semi-invasive approach is also just one of a number being applied in the area.
“BCI is a convergence of artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, and biomedical technology,” Tao Hu, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Microsystems and Information Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in the second report.
“As an emerging industry, it still requires concentrated investment of various resources.”


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Three patients have been implanted successfully with the NEO technology and a bigger clinical trial is scheduled for next year. Photo: Shutterstock Images

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At least 30 patients are expected to be implanted with Chinese BCI technology, developer says


At least 30 patients are expected to be implanted with Chinese BCI technology, developer says.


China technology