China’s Brain-Computer Interface Technology Makes Breakthroughs Toward Industrialization

A flexible film electrode, 4 centimeters square and 6 micrometers thick, can collect brain signals when attached to the surface of the dura mater outside the functional areas of the brain. On April 26, reporters saw at the Beijing Institute for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (hereinafter referred to as BIBS) that thanks to micro-nano technology, the flexible film electrode-type brain-computer interface (BCI) product under clinical trial is thinner, lighter and more comfortable than traditional silicone electrode models.

At the Sanbo Brain Hospital of Capital Medical University, with the support of BCI signal decoding technology, the previously continuous neuroregulation has added real-time monitoring and even prediction functions, enabling non-intervention when everything is normal and immediate response when abnormalities occur. With the approval and launch of the world’s first invasive BCI medical device in China, the momentum for BCI technology to move toward industrialization has become stronger.

Zhang Lei, Director of the Instrumentation Center at BIBS, told Science and Technology Daily that clinical applications have higher requirements for products than laboratory verification. “A participant in a foreign clinical trial had the BCI product removed after six months because its large size caused severe scalp discomfort,” he said. Unlike foreign products that are 12 millimeters thick and exceed the height of the skull groove, the independently developed “Beinao No.1” host is only 6 millimeters thick, a quarter the size of similar foreign products, making it easy to place in the skull.

Wireless communication and wireless power supply are key to the productization of the host. Zhang Lei explained that the latest wireless technology is applied to the communication of “Beinao No.1” to ensure stable signals. The team has also solved the long-standing problems of frequent disconnection and strict distance limitations in wireless power supply through independent research.

“We have made adaptive adjustments to the power supply module, which can automatically and quickly capture changes in power supply conditions for power control,” Zhang said. “The average effective distance of current wireless power supply is 8 millimeters, while our device can supply power wirelessly within more than 10 millimeters, compatible with all scalp thicknesses.”

Luan Guoming, Vice President of Sanbo Brain Hospital of Capital Medical University, pointed out that invasive electrodes may cause human rejection and heat generation after being implanted into brain tissue, which are major safety concerns in clinical practice. To address these issues, multiple solutions have been developed in the industry.

“Measures such as millimeter-wave wireless energy supply and optogenetic manipulation can reduce energy generation in the brain,” Luan said. Millimeter-wave mode directly exchanges energy and information with implanted devices, moving the heat generation process outside the brain, while optogenetic biological devices implanted in the brain produce less heat when decoding brain signals. People’s Network reported that the world’s first interventional BCI clinical trial was carried out at Sanbo Funeng Brain Hospital in Fujian, ensuring surgical safety and effectiveness through minimally invasive surgery.

Efforts from multiple parties are accelerating the industrialization of BCI technology. Sanbo Brain Hospital has established a platform for BCI translational clinical trials, promoting in-depth integration of scientific research, clinical practice and industry. BIBS and its incubated enterprise, Beijing Xinzhida Neural Technology Co., Ltd., are exploring the transformation of two products: “Beinao No.1” and “Beinao No.2”.

Li Yuan, Interim CEO of Beijing Xinzhida Neural Technology Co., Ltd., said “Beinao No.1” has entered the clinical verification stage with the participation of more than a dozen centers nationwide, and 4 patients with motor dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury have completed implantation with good post-operative conditions. “Beinao No.2”, which can read signals from single neurons with 512 channels, is undergoing large animal testing and plans to start clinical research this year.