Photo credit: Chance Miller
New York-based Synchron’s “Synchron Switch” enables patients to control an iPhone or iPad using only their brain. This is made possible with a sensor array called a “Stentrode”, which is surgically implanted into the top of the brain through a blood vessel, and then controlled wirelessly using the Synchron Switch on the patient’s chest.
Currently, there is one patient with the Synchron Switch that uses it to control an Apple iPad, Rodney Gotham from Melbourne, Australia. He is a retired software salesman suffering for Lou Gherig’s Disease and uses the iPad as his main form of communication. The implant allows for the signals from his brain to be converted into actions of text on the iPad. This can be done by tapping his foot that registers as a tap on the tablet’s screen.
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The first-in-human implant of an endovascular BCI in the U.S. is a major clinical milestone that opens up new possibilities for patients with paralysis. Our technology is for the millions of people who have lost the ability to use their hands to control digital devices. We’re excited to advance a scalable BCI solution to market, one that has the potential to transform so many lives,” said Tom Oxley, MD, PhD, CEO & Founder, Synchron.