China approves world’s first brain implant for commercial use

China had approved a brain implant for commercial use in people with spinal cord injuries. The device is a type of brain-computer interface (BCI) and is made by the Shanghai-based company Neuracle Medical Technology.

Brain implants had been used as part of clinical trials for decades, but this technology was the first time such a device had been approved for broad use in patients. Neuracle’s BCI consists a coin sized wire implant that sits on the surface of the brain’s outer membrane and controls a robotic glove, developed for use by people with paralysis or other disabilities.