The latest to receive the brain-computer interface (BCI) therapy brings the total number of successful implants to five. Both procedures took place at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Dr. Jocelyne Bloch, chief of neurosurgery, directed the cases.
One procedure involved a 48-year-old man with an injury sustained in 2024. The second involved a 37-year-old woman with an injury from 2011. The implants took place as part of ongoing clinical feasibility studies investigating the use of thought-driven spinal cord stimulation (SCS) after SCI.
“With five successful procedures now completed, we are gaining important information about this potentially transformative therapy for individuals with spinal cord injury,” said Dave Marver, CEO of ONWARD Medical. “Each procedure advances our understanding and refines our approach, bringing us closer to our vision to make thought-driven movement a reality for people living with paralysis.”
More about the Onward ARC-BCI system
Onward reported the first human implant of the BCI offering in September 2023. The ARC-BCI uses AI to decode a person’s brain signals and translate their intention into thought-driven movement. It pairs BCI with the ARC-IM system, an implanted SCS system, to create the Onward DigitalBridge.
DigitalBridge, a wireless connection between the brain and body, enables thought-driven movement after paralysis. It uses AI to decode brain signals and translate intention into movement.
Since that first implant, the company has made significant progress with its BCI. Onward won FDA breakthrough device designation for the technology in February. Then, in March, the FDA accepted the BCI into its new Total Product Lifecycle Advisory Program (TAP). Earlier this year, Onward received a grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to support an ongoing BCI study, then reported the third implant in September.
“We continue to have excellent experience with Onward ARC-BCI therapy, which provides the data and resolution we need with a less invasive surgery than is required with other BCI platforms,” said Bloch. “Our research is progressing well, and the study participants are showing improvements that meet or surpass our expectations. We look forward to sharing more details in a peer-reviewed setting.”
