“It’s very exciting and liberating to maintain my independence,” Mark says. “Some days can be more challenging, especially depending on how I’m feeling, but the design of the Amazon tablet makes it fairly easy to interact with and complete the tasks I need to.”
Amazon declined to respond to a request for comment.
Synchron has also connected Mark’s BCI to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and The Apple Vision Proa mixed reality headset. Released earlier this year, Vision Pro requires hand gestures to select items. After Synchron integration, Mark was able to use his thoughts to control the cursor on Vision Pro to play solitaire, watch Apple TV, and send text messages. In addition to Mark, one of the Synchron test participants in Australia is also using these apps.
Both Alexa and Vision Pro connect to Mark’s BCI via Bluetooth. A Synchron field engineer visits Mark at his home in Pennsylvania twice a week as he practices using his BCI. Mark says the different platforms offer a variety of capabilities that he can use in his daily life, but the experience isn’t always seamless. “We’ve been working to solve accessibility challenges across all platforms to make them better for the next generation of users,” he says.
Synchron’s BCI resembles a mesh stent and is fitted with electrodes that pick up neural signals. Rather than being implanted directly into the brain, it is inserted into the jugular vein at the base of the neck using a minimally invasive procedure. A surgeon pushes the device through the vein until it sits against the motor cortex, a region of the brain that controls voluntary movement. Once implanted, it is designed to wirelessly detect and transmit movement intentions outside the brain so that paralyzed people can control personal devices hands-free.
While virtual assistants are already helpful for people with disabilities, they don’t always provide privacy, as they rely on voice commands that can be heard. “Regaining some degree of independence is really important for people, but regaining private, independent use is even better,” says Emily Graczyk, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University who is working on restoring sentience with BCIs.
She believes Synchron’s approach could also help provide a sense of normality for people with limited mobility because it means they can use the same devices as their family and friends, rather than special assistive devices.
Ian Burkhart, a quadriplegic who participated in a BCI trial from another company, sees Synchron’s efforts as a positive thing for patients, as long as the devices integrate seamlessly and users can interact with them conveniently in their daily lives. “It’s really exciting,” he says. “I see the future of BCI as simply a pipeline that can allow data to flow from the brain to control anything that can be controlled by a computer.” Burkhart received an implant made by Blackrock Neurotech in 2014, but had it removed in 2021 after developing an infection.
Oxley says Synchron is working on more features and is in talks with other major tech companies about additional integrations. The thing paralyzed patients want most is the ability to multitask, he says.
“Things like scrolling, clicking, dragging, pulling down menus, going back… all these different things we do with our fingers… we’re discovering ways to identify unique signatures of the brain and then we can generate product features to control operating systems,” Oxley says.
Mark hopes that his BCI will allow him to perform more complex tasks. For one, he wants to paint again.
