The company claims that for the first time, someone has been able to write social media messages directly through BCI. This is a symbolically important moment for technology that can open the door for paralyzed people to stay in touch with the world.
“Hello world! – Philip O’Keefe, who suffers from progressive paralysis, wrote on Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley’s account. – Short tweet. Monumental progress.”
hello, world! Short tweet. Monumental progress.
– Thomas Oxley (@tomoxl) December 23, 2021
“I hope I’m paving the way for people to tweet their thoughts,” he added in his follow-up post.
O’Keefe, 62, has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – the man has now lost most of his motor functions and cannot work or lead a full life. In April 2020, he received a Stentrode BCI, a small set of electrodes on a stent implanted in his brain through his jugular vein.
“When I first heard about this technology, I knew how much independence it could give me back,” O’Keefe said in a statement . – “The system is amazing, it’s like learning to ride a bike – it takes practice, but when you ride it becomes natural.
“Now I just think about where on the computer I want to click, and I can email, bank, shop, and now also send messages to the world via Twitter,” he added.
In July, the neurotech startup received regulatory approval from the FDA to begin testing the device on volunteers.
