Synchron announced today that it will become the first brain-computer interface (BCI) maker to achieve native integration with a new Apple protocol.
Apple today unveiled its BCI Human Interface Device (BCI HID) profile, enabling the recognition of neural interfaces as a native input category, coming to Apple devices. Users implanted with Synchron’s BCI can control an iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro directly with their thoughts. It requires no physical movement or voice commands.
This isn’t the first work the two companies have done together, as last year Synchron shared that it paired its Stentrode BCI with the Apple Vision Pro. The latest advancement enables hands-free, voice-free digital access for individuals with motor impairment, such as ALS, stroke or spinal cord injury.
Synchron says its BCI will seamlessly integrate with Apple’s built-in accessibility features, including Switch Control. This gives users an intuitive way to use their devices, laying a foundation for a new generation of cognitive input technologies.
According to a news release, traditional HIDs like keyboards and mice require physical movement. Synchron notes expanded accessibility from touch and voice interfaces, but people with profound physical impairments still face limitations in the technologies. BCI HID eliminates those barriers, the company says. It translates neural signals, captured by Stentrode, into real-time digital commands.
“This marks a defining moment for human-device interaction. BCI is more than an accessibility tool, it’s a next-generation interface layer,” said Dr. Tom Oxley, CEO and Co-Founder, Synchron. “Apple is helping to pioneer a new interface paradigm, where brain signals are formally recognized alongside touch, voice and typing. With BCI recognized as a native input for Apple devices, there are new possibilities for people living with paralysis and beyond.”
More about the collaboration between Synchron and Apple
Unlike traditional assistive devices that replicate hardware inputs, a BCI HID can allow bidirectional communication between BCI and device. It creates a closed-loop system that can exchange contextual information, such as screen layout and UI elements. This optimizes decoding accuracy and the user experience, Synchron says.
The company believes the Apple BCI HID “presents an opportunity to break down more barriers.” It hopes to advance accessibility even further to create a foundation for seamless integration between any BCI system and any device. The company says it wants to enable a unified ecosystem for neural interaction across tech platforms and hardware vendors.
Through this integration, Native iOS, iPadOS and visionOS can offer value to patients in clinical trials. Meanwhile, this work can accelerate Synchron’s path to market. The company plans to begin controlled rollouts with trial participants using BCI HID-compatible features later this year.
“When we ask our clinical trial participants what they want to do, it’s always about communication and creativity,” said Kurt Haggstrom, chief commercial officer at Synchron. “And to most people, that means using their Apple devices. For Apple to recognize that need, and respond to it, demonstrates how much they value accessibility for their users. It has been an honor to meet with their teams and provide feedback to help make BCI HID a reality.”
More about the Stentrode system and the BCI space
The Synchron BCI system is delivered through an endovascular approach. Synchron says its BCI is the only one tapping into blood vessels to capture signals from the brain. The implant goes on the surface of the motor cortex of the brain via the jugular vein.
Once implanted, it detects and wirelessly transmits motor intent out of the brain, potentially allowing severely paralyzed people to control personal devices with hands-free point-and-click.
Synchron completed enrollment for its COMMAND clinical trial in September 2023. It also won the first FDA investigational device exemption for assessment of a permanently implanted BCI. The company could be one of the leaders in a growing BCI space with a massive market opportunity.
Other companies advancing BCI technology include Neuralink, which recently received another FDA breakthrough nod, and Precision Neuroscience, which picked up FDA clearance for its cortical interface for BCI technology last month.
Learn more about BCIs and some of the players in the space HERE.
