One of the biggest significant milestones for neurotechnology this year has been thanks to Synchron. We are talking about a company based in New York and rival of Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which has achieved that a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) control Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant with your mind. This advance is part of a broader effort to allow people with paralysis to have greater functionality and autonomy in their daily lives, using a brain implant that interprets neural signals.
According to information from Wiredthe device, known as brain-computer interface (BCI), was implanted in a patient named Mark, who has been dealing with ALS. Mark, 64, who already used Alexa through voice commands, can now interact with the virtual assistant without having to speak or touch a screen, simply using his thoughts. This development represents a big step towards the integration of consumer technology with neurotechnologyallowing more intuitive and accessible control for those who suffer from motor disabilities.
Synchron has been working on its BCI since receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in July 2021. So far, the company has implanted its device in six patients, and the initial results have been promisingwith no serious adverse side effects reported. With the recent integration of its system with consumer devices such as Alexa, Synchron is positioned as a leader in the race to develop technologies that improve the quality of life of people with paralysis.
The device implantation process is minimally invasivesince the BCI is inserted into the jugular vein rather than into the brain directly. This makes it less risky and more accessible to patients. Once implanted, the device can wirelessly transmit the user’s movement intentions, allowing them to control digital devices with their thoughts, from computers to virtual assistants and entertainment systems.
The company plans to launch an online registry to recruit additional participants for a large scale clinical trialwith the aim of obtaining commercial approval for your device. Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley has expressed that there is great interest from doctors and hospitals to participate in this study, which could accelerate the development process and availability of the BCI.
Collaboration with ChatGPT
In addition to Alexa, Synchron has connected Mark’s BCI with other platforms such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and the Apple Vision Pro. This allows for a range of interactions including browsing the internet, sending text messages, and controlling home security devices. However, the experience is not always perfect, and the Synchron team is working to improve accessibility and interaction across different platforms.
Along these lines, the collaboration between Synchron and OpenAI has made it possible for the ChatGPT chatbot to be integrated into BCIs, which represents a significant advance for people with severe mobility limitations. Using GPT-4o, which processes audio, video and text inputs, Users can communicate more fluidly, significantly improving their quality of life.
For example, the technology behind the product can analyze a conversation happening in the room, assess the weather, and consult a calendar to suggest a possible response to an email. Automated responses aren’t exactly the stuff of science fiction, but Synchron’s CEO sees the integration as a significant step towards futuristic goals related to the improvement of intellectual capacity, even for healthy people. “This is a small step on that path,” Oxley told Bloomberg. When artificial intelligence is combined with brain devices, “the combination is extremely powerful,” he said, and could ultimately allow humans to express themselves in new ways.
The link between AI and medical hardware evokes both utopian and dystopian scenarios. Oxley stressed that there will be limits with his AI integration. “We are not sharing any brain data with OpenAI,” said. “What we’re sharing are inputs coming in from the user’s environment,” such as verbal conversations in the room. The system could create more privacy for patients, the CEO said, because they can interact directly with a device instead of asking a caregiver for help.
Financing and listing
In 2022, Synchron announced a $75 million financing round which included funds from the investment firms of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. It is currently a private company and is not currently listed on any stock market.
The company announced at the beginning of 2024 that acquired an equity stake in medical components manufacturer Acquandasas it seeks to improve manufacturing operations for its brain implant.
#Synchron #company #overtook #Elon #Musks #Neuralink #race #brain #chips #implant #controls #Alexa #mind
