China performs world's first commercial brain chip implant, before Neuralink

China has reportedly moved ahead of Neuralink by performing the world's first commercial brain chip implant. Here's how the Neo brain-computer interface works, and what makes it different from Elon Musk's technology.

In Short

• Shanghai doctors implanted Neuracle's Neoin a patient with hand impairment
• The patient suffered a spinal cord injury in a car crash
• The device sits on the brain surface without penetrating tissue

China has reportedly moved one step ahead of Elon Musk's Neuralink in the race to commercialise brain chips. According to Chinese media reports, doctors in Shanghai have carried out the world's first commercial implantation of a brain-computer interface (BCI), using a regulator-approved device to help a patient with a spinal cord injury regain hand function. The successful procedure takes BCI technology beyond clinical trials and into real-world medical use, putting China ahead of Elon Musk's Neuralink, which is still testing its implants in humans.

The surgery reportedly took place at Huashan Hospital, affiliated with Fudan University in Shanghai. The patient, who suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident around a decade ago, had lost the ability to properly use their hands despite undergoing years of rehabilitation. After being evaluated by a multidisciplinary medical team, the patient was selected for the procedure using Neural Electronic Opportunity (NEO), a brain-computer interface system developed by Shanghai-based Neuracle Medical Technology.

According to Chinese authorities, the patient remained in a stable condition following the surgery, while tests carried out during the procedure showed that the device was successfully capturing high-quality brain signals.

What is Neo system

The Neo system works by reading signals from the brain and turning them into commands for external devices. The coin-sized implant is placed on the surface of the brain instead of deep inside it. When a patient thinks about moving their hand, the device picks up those brain signals and sends them to a computer, which translates them into commands to control a robotic glove. According to the company the goal is to help people with paralysis regain hand movement and carry out everyday tasks more independently.

The successful procedure follows an important regulatory milestone earlier this year. In March, China's National Medical Products Administration approved Neo for commercial use, making it, according to Chinese authorities, the world's first approved implantable brain-computer interface classified as a Class III medical device. That approval meant the technology could move beyond experimental clinical trials and begin treating eligible patients in hospitals.

Neo vs Neuralink

Meanwhile, Elon Musk's Neuralink is working on similar technology and has already implanted its brain chip in several patients as part of ongoing clinical trials in the US. Its first product, called Telepathy, is designed to help people with paralysis control computers, smartphones and other digital devices using only their thoughts.

However, while Neuralink has successfully implanted its brain chip in several patients, those procedures are still part of clinical trials. Neo, on the other hand, has already received commercial approval in China, allowing it to be used to treat eligible patients in hospitals. Neuralink is yet to receive full commercial approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The two systems also take different approaches. Neuralink's implant uses ultra-thin flexible threads inserted directly into brain tissue with the help of a surgical robot. Neo, by comparison, is placed on the surface of the brain without penetrating brain tissue, making it a less invasive approach while still capturing the brain signals needed to control assistive devices.

- Ends