Emerging Trends in Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI)

 

How Neurotech and AI are accelerating BCI Innovation to Treat Neurological Disorders.

The nexus of artificial intelligence (AI) and neurology is a fascinating area to study right now. The trend in Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) is toward flexible, less invasive devices that can record brain activity over long periods. New types of brain-computer interfaces are rapidly emerging, driven by the combined power of AI software and hardware innovations in neuro-technology. Reflecting this trend, two new brain-computer interfaces were recently approved by the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accelerated clinical trials.

According to Grand View Research, the Brain-Computer interface market is expected to reach $3.7 billion by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 15.5% from 2020 to 2027. The Brain-Computer Interface was developed in the 1970s at the University of California, Los Angeles at the Brain Research Institute (UCLA). AI's pattern recognition capabilities decode complex brain activity and translate it into digitized commands to operate computers, prosthetics, and other external devices.
The FDA Breakthrough Devices Program enables manufacturers to work with FDA experts during the premarket review stage and expedited review of applications. Accelerating the development, evaluation, and review process to ensure more timely patient access to medical devices and device-driven combination products that diagnose or treat life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases and conditions.
A month ago, a 2021 neurotech startup called Axoft broke from the FDA with a bio-inspired Brain-Computer Interface implant that enables chronic communication with the nervous system that can seamlessly integrate with brain tissue. The soft, flexible polymer material used by Axoft sets it apart from other Brain-Computer Interface manufacturers because it considerably reduces glial scarring while maintaining a high density of electrodes that may be persistently implanted in the central nervous system. The start-up also claims that it is 10,000 times softer than current flexible electronics and has a 1,000 times higher electrode density than soft probes already in use. Jia Liu, Ph.D, an assistant professor at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and co-founder of Axoft, is the scientist whose research served as the foundation for the creation of this company's neuro-technology.

In August 2022, Synchron's breakthrough Brain-Computer Interface, Stentrode, was implanted in Americans at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City as part of Synchron's COMMAND clinical trial in the United States. What makes Stentrode innovative is that it comes with a catheter that is inserted into the body via the jugular vein and led to the superior sagittal sinus, a large vessel that fits between the two hemispheres of the brain. Moreover, the signal quality of the stentrode does not degrade over time, indicating great potential as a long-term chronic implant.

"This is an incredible innovation in Brain-Computer Interface Technology," said Chief Scientist at COMMAND