A brain-sized implant with a clip makes an exoskeleton think!

The sphere of prosthetics has advanced very far since its inception. The development of nanotechnology allowed creating artificial skin, which gave people using prostheses an opportunity to really feel. Surgical progress suggests that now prostheses can be connected directly to the nervous system. And now one study reports that a new, incredibly small brain implant has been created that can potentially control an entire exoskeleton through an interface with the help of thought.

Features of the new device

Unlike most modern artificial limb systems that connect previously damaged nerves to a prosthesis, this interface is implanted straight into the brain during a short operation with a low risk. This minimally invasive clip-sized device stays inside the blood vessel, and at the same time it is able to capture and record high-quality signals that the motor cortex of the brain emits - its part responsible for coordinating movements.

Experiment on sheep

This device was tested on live sheep for 190 days, since these animals have a motor cortex similar to human. For a certain time, the implanted electrode recorded electronic signals from the cortex. Some of them were induced artificially - by electronically stimulating the extremities of animals. These recorded signals were then compared with commercially available data obtained from electrode matrices implanted straight into the brain surface by operation.

Non-hazardous electrode

The authors of the study say that their electrode records cortical signals that can be compared with traditional ones. It is important to note that the implanted electrode did not cause the formation of blood clots inside the vessel or any other damage. It is also worth noting that the recording quality improved with time, as the electrode was better implanted in the blood vessel.

Planned trials on humans

This electrode is definitely capable of capturing and recording the signals of the motor cortex of sheep and cows - this has already been shown by practical research. Therefore, scientists began to think about what kind of action an electrode can have on a person. Dr. Nicholas Opie, one of the leaders of the study, said in a statement that they hope to obtain direct control of the brain of the exoskeleton by three paralyzed people during the tests scheduled for 2017. So now it remains only to wait, when the thought-controlled electrode will be implanted in the first person.

Expert opinion

"At the moment, the exoskeleton is controlled by manual manipulations with the joystick, which provides switching between different commands of movement (stand, start movement, stop, turn)," Opie said. "Our electrode will be the first device that will allow direct control of exoskeletons through thought."