Neuroscience and brain technology is currently being developed very rapidly, with names like Neuralink seen developing technology that allows individuals with nerve and brain injuries to at least regain some of their physical abilities through surgery and the use of brain implants.
Recently, it has been reported that scientists from China are developing brain implant technology that can be inserted into the human brain in just 10 minutes. These implants, called Brain Computer Interface (BCI), will allow users to control certain digital devices using only their minds, through this BCI implant.
Usually, installing this BCI in a person's brain requires the individual to undergo brain surgery to insert this BCI in certain locations in the brain organ, but with the new technology that Chinese scientists want to develop, this BCI implant can later be inserted into the brain using only a small stent tube, through the blood vessels from the neck to directly into the brain.
This research was explained by Zhao Zhengtuo, CEO of StairMed Technology, the startup behind the research and development of this technology, during the Global Health Summit held in Hong Kong recently.
The development of this technology has also been funded by a number of large technology companies such as Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group. This technology development has been introduced since December last year in collaboration with a research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
This program has also reportedly entered the testing phase on animals such as sheep, but has not yet entered the testing phase on humans. In terms of the speed of installing this implant, Zhao Zhengtuo said that a surgeon with 4-6 years of surgical experience can insert this implant into the brain in just 10 minutes.
With Neuralink, brain surgery must be performed because their BCI implant needs to be installed in the cerebral cortex. For the technology being developed by Stairmed Technologies, inserting their BCI implant through the bloodstream is seen as not only faster, but also reduces the risks for individuals who need such implants.
