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| Developing a brain chip thinner than a hair |
Developing a brain chip thinner than a hair that allows browsing communication sites mentally
The human neocortex is made up of six layers of cells, and now a team of scientists and engineers from Precision Neuroscience is building a device that may have a seventh layer.
The device, known as the Layer 7 Cortical Interface, is a brain implant, or chip, designed to help paralyzed patients operate digital devices using only nerve signals.
This means that patients with serious degenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis will once again be able to communicate with their loved ones by swiping a slider, clicking on a smart device, or even accessing social media with their mind.
The cortical interface of Layer 7 contains a series of electrodes that look like a strip of sticky tape and are thinner than a human hair, allowing them to align with the surface of the brain without damaging the tissue.
Founded in 2021, Precision Neuroscience is one of many companies working on the burgeoning brain-computer interfaces industry. A brain-computer interface is defined as a system that decodes brain signals and translates them into external technological commands, and many companies have successfully built devices with this capability.
The company is co-founded by Michael Mager and Benjamin Rapoport, who also co-founded Neuralink for billionaire Elon Musk. Neuralink's brain-computer interface technology is designed to be implanted directly into brain tissue, while Precision Neuroscience relies on minimally invasive surgical techniques.
To implant a layer VII cortical interface device into the brain, surgeons make a very thin incision in the skull, through which the device slides like a letter in a mailbox. The incisions are only a millimeter thick and small enough that patients don't have to shave their hair for the procedure, said Mager, who is also CEO of Precision Neuroscience.
The nature of the process allows the company to slightly increase the number of electrodes on the array, which Mager says will eventually enable brain chips to be used for neurological applications beyond paralysis. The process can also be reversed if the patient decides they no longer need the implant or would like an updated version in the future.
Precision Neuroscience says it has successfully used the Cortical Interface Device 7 to decode neural signals in animals, while Mager hopes to get approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to apply the technology to humans in the coming months of testing.