Brain-computer interface technology is considered one of the hottest frontier fields at present. Neuralink, a company founded by American billionaire Elon Musk, has successfully performed many related surgeries. CNN noted on the 20th that China is currently catching up in this field and "is approaching the global advanced level and is comparable to the United States and the United Kingdom in complexity."
The "Beinao-1" brain-computer interface chip developed by the Beijing Institute of Brain Science and Brain Creation (left) and a schematic model of its effects after implantation (right). (Source: CNN)
Help patients rebuild communication skills
The so-called brain-computer interface technology refers to collecting high-quality EEG signals from the brain, then processing and decoding them and outputting them to operate other devices. CNN said that the wireless brain-computer interface chip developed by the Beijing Institute of Brain Science and Brain Art has been implanted in the brains of five patients in clinical trials. A "Global Times" reporter learned in a previous interview that brain-computer interfaces are mainly divided into three technical routes based on different ways of receiving brain waves: the non-invasive (non-invasive) mode that does not require surgery and just attaches electrodes to the scalp to collect brain waves; the semi-invasive mode that uses surgery to attach the electrodes to the cerebral cortex but does not insert them into the brain tissue; and the invasive mode that uses microneedles or microwires to directly insert the electrodes into the brain tissue. Theoretically, the closer the collection electrode is to the brain tissue, the better the quality of the brainwave signals collected, but the greater the risk of surgery.
The chip called "Beinao No. 1" developed by the Beijing Institute of Brain Science and Brain Integration is only the size of a coin and is semi-invasive. CNN quoted Maximilian Risenhuber, a professor of neuroscience at Georgetown University in the United States, as commenting that most American companies use invasive technology to implant chips into the meninges to better capture signals, but require higher-risk surgery. "Beinao-1" can obtain enough information outside the meninges to decode specific words. According to reports, a 67-year-old female patient who underwent surgery, suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and unable to speak, used this technology to present the thought "I want to eat" in the form of Chinese characters on the computer screen. "Patients say it feels great, like they can gain or regain control of (their) muscles," said Luo Minmin, director of the Beijing Institute of Brain Science and Brain Integration and chief scientist on the trial.
According to the official website of the Beijing Institute of Brain Science and Brain Creation, from February to March 2025, "Beinao-1" completed the world's first batch of flexible high-throughput semi-invasive wireless fully implantable brain-computer systems. The patients recovered well after surgery, and the number of effective channels of the device reached more than 98%. By using the "Beinao-1" intelligent brain-computer system, paralyzed patients can control computers, robotic arms, and even drive muscle stimulation devices from a distance to promote the gradual recovery of their own limb motor functions. At the same time, "Beinao-1" is the first wireless fully implanted brain-computer system in the world to achieve language decoding for aphasic patients, which can help patients rebuild their ability to communicate.
China simultaneously promotes multiple technologies
According to reports, in addition to the semi-invasive "Beinao-1", the Beijing Institute of Brain Science and Brain Imaging is also developing the invasive "Beinao-2". The 1024-channel wired version of the "Beinao-2" intelligent brain-computer system will be the first in the world in 2024 to realize monkeys intercepting moving targets with their thoughts.
In January this year, Chinese brain-computer interface company Brain Tiger Technology, the neurosurgery team of Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, and Tianqiao Brain Science Research Institute conducted clinical trial research on high-precision real-time motion decoding and language decoding through domestic original invasive flexible brain-computer interface technology and made significant progress. A brain-injured patient conceived the words "Happy New Year 2025" in his mind. After decoding, the computer sent commands to the robotic arm to make a heart-shaped gesture, realizing the process of conveying New Year's greetings through thoughts. According to reports, this technology is based on real-time Chinese decoding. The subject not only realizes advanced functions such as real-time synthesis of Chinese with thoughts, driving digital avatars, and dialogue AI large models, but also decodes human EEG into language and then converts it into instructions to control dexterous hands in real time to achieve human-computer interaction. This achievement not only brings hope to aphasic patients to reshape their language functions, but also opens up new possibilities for direct interaction between the human brain and large AI models, and even for communication of ideas.
At the end of last year, the semi-invasive brain-computer interface device jointly developed by Brighton Medical Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and the team of Professor Hong Bo from the Department of Biomedical Engineering of Tsinghua University completed the third clinical trial implantation in the country and the first in Shanghai at Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University. According to reports, the team will launch a large-scale clinical trial in 2025 and plans to enroll 30-50 spinal cord injury patients for brain-computer interface implantation.
“Can’t compare apples and oranges”
According to CNN, brain-computer interface technology first originated in the United States in the 1970s. Synchron, an American company, took the lead in conducting human trials in July 2021 and completed multiple brain-computer interface implant surgeries. A new brain-computer interface system developed by the University of California, Davis Medical Center successfully converted the EEG signals of an ALS patient into speech with an accuracy of 97%. Neuralink, another well-known brain-computer interface company, completed its first human trial in 2024. The subject achieved control of a computer mouse through a brain implant. The company announced in June this year that it will try to implant "blind vision" devices into subjects as soon as next year. According to reports, Neuralink has developed a microchip that can be directly implanted in the visual cortex of the brain. The principle is to bypass the eyes and optic nerves and directly send stimulation to the area of the brain responsible for processing visual signals, thereby "cheating" the brain into producing visual perception, thereby restoring sight to the blind.
According to the report, brain-computer interface technology is led by American scientists, but "China is quickly catching up." According to the report, China did not start to make efforts in brain science until the 1990s, but it developed rapidly. In 2014, Chinese scientists proposed the idea of launching a national project on brain science, aiming to catch up with similar efforts in the United States and Europe. Two years later, brain science was included in China's five-year plan. A research report on the development of brain-computer interfaces in China published by American scientists in 2024 mentioned that the efforts of Chinese researchers are "comparable to the United States and the United Kingdom in complexity." "China's non-invasive brain-computer interface research is comparable to that of other technologically developed countries, and efforts are being made to overcome obstacles to expand the scope of applications," the report said.
As of March this year, five patients have been implanted with the "Beinao No. 1" chip. The technology shows "high accuracy" in decoding signals from patients' brains and converting them into text speech or machine movements. CNN said that Luo Minmin’s team plans to accelerate human trials next year and implant the chips in 50 to 100 patients. "We hope to advance this process faster. If it is proven to be safe and effective, it can be used clinically around the world." As for who is more advanced in brain-computer interface technology between China and the United States, Luo Minmin believes that "Beinao-1" and Neuralink have different technical paths, and comparing them is like comparing "apples and oranges." "I don't think there's competition or exclusivity between the two products, and we don't yet know which option will benefit patients better."