The study evaluates the company’s graphene cortical interface technology. It enrolled 10 patients in the first-in-human study, with eight treated surgically. Investigators saw no perioperative device failure during use, with complete datasets obtained from eight patients.
Barcelona, Spain-based InBrain said the study — sponsored by the University of Manchester and conducted with Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, evaluated the BCI during neurosurgical procedures for brain tumor resection. The study had a primary objective of assessing safety. Secondary objectives focused on signal quality, stability, stimulation capability and suitability for intraoperative use with standard surgical tooling and recording equipment.
InBrain reported a favorable safety profile for all eight patients treated up to surgical discharge. The primary endpoint includes a post-operative safety monitoring period of 90 days, including imaging.
In this study, investigators used the InBrain electrodes alongside standard-of-care monitoring systems. In select cases involving awake surgery, patients performed functional tasks. Those included object naming, enabling researchers to evaluate the system’s performance decoding speech.
More about the InBrain BCI technology
Graphene, a two-dimensional material made of a lattice of carbon atoms, is stronger than steel and thinner than a human hair. It utilizes a combination of electrical and mechanical properties. InBrain says its neural platform enables ultra-high signal resolution, using machine learning software to decode therapy-specific biomarkers. It delivers highly focused, adaptive neuroelectronic therapy that re-balances pathological neural networks.
The company’s BCI technology integrates intelligent computing and graphene-based materials to decode and modulate real-time brain activity. It received FDA breakthrough device designation in 2023.
InBrain kicked off its first-in-human study in September 2024, reporting positive results in July 2025. The company also recently inked partnerships with Mayo Clinic and Microsoft to further expand the possibilities for its BCI.
Future applications of the BCI technology could include neuromodulation for Parkinson’s, stroke rehabilitation, epilepsy and potentially neuropsychiatric disorders.
Commentary from company officials and investigators
Carolina Aguilar, CEO and co-founder, InBrain Neuroelectronics, said:
“The completion of patient enrollment in this first-in-human study marks an important step for InBrain and the field of neurotechnology. Graphene has the potential to fundamentally change how we interface with the brain, enabling higher resolution of neural function-specific biomarkers, safer, and more intelligent BCI systems. We look forward to announcing the full results this year, as we advance towards commercialization.”
Dr. Kostas Kostarelos, InBrain co-founder and the study’s chief scientific investigator, said:
“This study demonstrates that graphene can safely interface with the human brain, and capture neural signals with exceptional fidelity and resolution to enable precise decoding of brain and speech-related patterns metals can barely see. It marks a pivotal step towards translating a new enabling technology using neural signals into meaningful clinical applications and real-world patient benefit.”
Dr. David Coope, chief clinical investigator and consultant neurosurgeon at the Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences at Northern Care Alliance and the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, said:
“The ability to detect high-frequency neural activity with micrometer-scale precision and also modulate it provides a fundamentally new level of insight into brain–tumor interactions and functional brain decoding and mapping. This level of resolution has the potential to significantly improve surgical precision and open new avenues for treating neurological disorders.”
