The procedure took place at the Dept. for Neurosurgery at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), University Hospital Rechts der Isar. It marks the first real-world validation of Ability’s neural signal acquisition in a live surgical setting.
Drs. Wagner, Meyer and Jacob lead the company’s study out of the Dept. of Neurosurgery and Laboratory for Translational Neurotechnology, TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technische Universität München.
The study will include up to five individuals undergoing brain tumor surgery. It will capture neural data during 20-30 minutes of intraoperative recording for each patient. Initial patients underwent end-to-end system validation and signal acquisition while under general anesthetic. Next, investigators plan to target neural decoding under similar surgical conditions with conscious patients engaging in speech and motor tasks.
Ability Neurotech says the study marks its entry into the clinical stage. It plans to follow its first human neural dataset with a long-term implantation study.
The Ability Neurotech BCI device features electrodes, the implant itself and a wearable external device. It offers a highly advanced capability to record, transmit, analyze, and stimulate the brain. The company seeks to restore fundamental functions and improve the quality of life for patients.
Read more about Ability Neurotech’s plans for the future here.
Read more about the Ability Neurotech technology here.
Commentary from company officials and doctors
Rotem Kopel, Ability Neurotech CEO, said:
“This procedure, recording neural data from humans for the first time, is a key milestone for Ability and our mission to enable safe and ethical long-term BCI implantations. The real-world validation of our signal acquisition system to capture high-quality neural data in patients brings us another step closer to restoring communication, movement and autonomy for those living with paralysis and speech loss.”
Dr. Simon Jacob, professor of translational neurotechnology at the Department of Neurosurgery of TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, said:
“This research allows us to capture known neural phenomena, including evoked potentials and high-gamma activity, and benchmark Ability’s signal quality against established clinical electrophysiology systems. Establishing this scientific basis is what will allow brain-computer interface technology to mature responsibly from research into a reliable clinical tool.”
