The company and the neurosurgery team achieved the record — 4,096 electrodes — in New York last month. It came as part of an ongoing clinical study testing the company’s implant, the Layer 7 Cortical Interface. This doubled the previous record of 2,048 electrodes, the company says.
In March, Precision Neuroscience said it launched new clinical study sites at Mount Sinai Health System and the University of Pennsylvania. The studies evaluate the Layer 7, a thin-film brain-computer interface technology. Layer 7 features 1,024 tiny electrodes spanning an area of one square centimeter.
Dr. Joshua B. Bederson, chair of neurosurgery for the Mount Sinai Health system, led the neurosurgery team in the electrode placements. The team placed four of Precision’s arrays onto the surface of one patient’s brain, covering approximately eight square centimeters with electrodes. Layer 7 then streamed cortical data from all four arrays, generating a detailed visualization of the brian’s motor-sensory boundary.
“Precision’s brain–computer interface system was designed for scalability—meaning that we can continue to add electrodes to the surface of the brain without damaging tissue,” said Dr. Benjamin Rapoport, Precision co-founder and chief science officer. “This record is a significant step towards a new era. The ability to capture cortical information of this magnitude and scale could allow us to understand the brain in a much deeper way.”
More about the Precision Neuroscience BCI technology
In Layer 7, Precision Neuroscience embedded the electrodes in a flexible film that conforms to the brain surface. The film comes in at one-fifth the thickness of a human hair. Precision Neuroscience designed it for implantation and removal by neurosurgeons without damaging brain tissue. It maps electrical activity at a high resolution.
The company says it expects its brain implant to enable people with severe neurological conditions, like speech deficits and paralysis, to regain independence, communicate with loved ones and rejoin the workforce.
Precision Neuroscience’s system could provide insights into how the brain generates thoughts and behaviors. Doctors hope the insights help fuel the development of approaches for neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Precision Neuroscience is featured on MassDevice’s 2023 list of BCI companies you need to know. The company plans to release its first commercial product next year.
