Brain Computer Interface Commercialization Update

Let’s get up to date on three companies, which I believe are closest to commercializing clinically useful brain computer interface (BCI) technology: Neuralink, Blackrock Neurotech and Synchron.

Neuralink: Elon Musk’s venture has caught the attention of pop culture (what a surprise). According to a Daily Mail article, fans have remarked that a brain chip featured in the trailer for season 7 of Black Mirror resembles Elon’s BCI device.

According to Wired and Forbes, Neuralink filed to trademark the names Telepathy, Telekinesis and others for exclusive use as names for future devices.

According to multiple sources, several patients have successfully undergone surgical implantation of the Neuralink device and are able to control external devices (including a robotic arm) by thought alone.

Neuralink recently unveiled a new device, Blindsight, which is described as a device “for restoring visual perception.” Blindsight was granted Breakthrough Device designation from the Food and Drug Administration, “in order to accelerate the assessment and review of novel devices that have the potential to address an unmet need.”

Blackrock Neurotech: In mid-2024, Tether (a cryptocurrency/digital asset company, whose stablecoin has a market valuation north of 100 billion dollars) launched a strategic partnership with Blackrock Neurotech; investing 200 million dollars. According to the press release: The cash infusion “will primarily fund the commercialization and roll-out of Blackrock Neurotech’s innovative medical solutions that have already been successfully applied to more than 40 individuals. The investment will also be used to further boost Blackrock Neurotech’s R&D efforts… with a long term focus on human evolution and enhancement of our species’ potential through a safe bridge between the human brain and artificial intelligence computing.”

Synchron: According to massdevice.com Synchron had partnered with NVIDIA to leverage AI and big data and advance the capabilities of its BCI device. “Synchron’s vision is to scale neurotechnology to empower humans to connect to the world, and the NVIDIA Holoscan platform provides the ideal foundation,” said Tom Oxley, M.D., Ph.D., CEO & Founder, Synchron.

According to FierceBiotech, the Stentrode device passed an NIH safety study involving six patients. In addition to reporting NO adverse events, the patients reportedly were able to perform “a range of digital tasks, such as pointing a cursor and clicking.”

Business Wire reported that a 64 year old patient, implanted with the Stentrode device was able to control Amazon’s Alexa with his thoughts alone; performing “pre-set Alexa actions, like turning on and off lights, making video calls, playing music and shows, controlling smart home devices, reading books on Kindle or purchasing items on Amazon.”

For the previous update, check out

https://brain2mind.substack.com/p/brain-computer-interface-update-12a