China Approves the First Brain Chips for Sale—and Has a Plan to Dominate the Industry
China made history by becoming the first country to approve a commercially available brain chip to treat disability. NEO, the implant developed by Neuracle Medical Technology, translates the thoughts of a paralyzed person into the movements of an assistive robotic hand.
After 18 months of testing that proved its safety, China’s National Medical Products Administration approved the implant for people aged 19 to 60 with paralysis caused by neck or spinal cord injuries that prevent them from moving their limbs.
According to has In nature, the implant implanted in the skull is about the size of a coin. Eight electrodes protrude from the chip and are placed on the brain, in the area that processes body movements. When the user imagines moving their hand, the chip sends a signal to a computer, which then translates it into actions performed by a prosthesis.
In practice, Neo allows you to think about activating a mechanical glove capable of performing basic tasks: picking up objects, handling utensils, or even moving hygiene items. Sources consulted by the magazine indicate that 32 people have already tested the device without reporting any unwanted side effects.
Although several companies are developing brain implants and brain-computer interfaces (BCI), none have yet received approval to commercialize their innovations as treatments. Even advanced projects, such as Neuralink, have faced side effects that have blocked regulatory approval.
The plan to dominate the brain implant industry
The development comes just months after China released a policy document that outlines the country’s strategy to create a globally competitive BCI industry within five years. The plan outlines 17 steps to lead the research, development and application of these technologies.
“The Chinese government has always supported disruptive technologies. I think from the government’s perspective, this policy means that BCI technology has already moved from the concept level to the product level,” Phoenix Peng, co-founder of NeuroXess and Gestala, two BCI companies, told WIRED earlier this year.
The policy document promotes the mass production of non-invasive and non-implantation devices in various forms: forehead-mounted, head-mounted and ear-mounted, such as hearing aids, visors and glasses. It also proposes testing these technologies in high-risk sectors, such as hazardous materials handling, nuclear energy, mining and power generation.
For now, brain implants have a clear objective: to restore autonomy to disabled people. There are experimental devices that allow users to communicate with “thoughts,” operate computers without moving a muscle, and even technologies that begin to restore vision. With the commercial approval of Neo, the industry enters a new phase.
This story was originally published on WIRED in Spanish and was translated from Spanish.
