The debate over brain computer interface routes is intensifying, and Musk's Neuralink is facing fierce opponents

Ultra thin electrodes do not require piercing brain tissue

Precision Neuroscience was co founded by private equity investors Michael Mager and Dr. Benjamin Rapoport, with Dr. Benjamin Rapoport being a co-founder of Neuralink. The company's goal was also to assist paralyzed patients. According to the company announcement, Precision Neuroscience adopts a different technological path from Neuralink, claiming to have developed the "7th layer cerebral cortex" brain computer interface.
The 7th layer brain computer interface of Precision Neuroscience is an expandable minimally invasive brain computer interface platform, which constructs a modular and scalable brain computer interface platform, including high-throughput thin film electrode arrays and minimally invasive surgical implantation systems, promoting bidirectional communication with most areas of the cerebral cortex surface.
As shown in the figure below, in order to create a brain computer interface for the 7th layer of the cerebral cortex, Precision Neuroscience has developed an ultra-thin electrode that does not require piercing the brain during implantation, but can collect hundreds of times more data than traditional arrays. Research has found that the number of electrodes is an important indicator of brain computer interface. For example, if patients want to use their minds to control prosthetics or move the cursor on the screen, dozens of electrodes are not enough. Precision Neuroscience's solution can deploy high-density electrodes in a minimally invasive manner. The ultra-thin electrode developed by Precision Neuroscience is called Layer 7, which is a flexible film that can embed the electrode into the surface of the brain. The thickness of the film is only one-fifth of the diameter of human hair. When implanted, it does not need to pierce the brain, but can collect hundreds of times more data than traditional arrays.
As shown in the figure below, Layer 7 has excellent electrode characteristics, with each electrode connected to electronic devices through extremely thin platinum wires and arranged in a modular lattice structure, thus covering the surface of the brain with a very regular geometric pattern. Researchers characterized the impedance of 4232 microelectrodes from 8 arrays, with electrode connectivity>93%. In addition, the impedance amplitude at 1 kHz increases as the electrode size decreases. Among them, the average impedance of a 20 µ m diameter electrode is 497 k Ω, and the average impedance of a 200 µ m diameter electrode is 32 k Ω. Therefore, Layer 7 has good robustness. In order to better produce Layer 7, Precision Neuroscience acquired a 22000 square foot foundry located in Texas, which includes a 5500 square foot ISO 5 level cleanroom, over 500 square feet of ISO 6 level post-treatment and assembly space, and over 50 specialized tools. "Brain computer interfaces are not just electrode arrays, the complexity of machine learning is a necessary condition for driving truly powerful brain computer interfaces. This is a full stack product that requires interdisciplinary teams to develop," said Michael Mager, CEO of Precision Neuroscience

Neuralink will also enter a new stage

According to traditional meanings, the brain computer interface technology route can be divided into non-invasive, invasive, semi invasive, and invasive. Among them, Musk's Neuralink uses a flexible electrode chip that needs to be implanted through a hole in the skull, which is an invasive brain computer interface; The mesh cage electrodes used by the startup company Synchron are implanted into cortical blood vessels through veins, which is an invasive approach; The head mounted EEG cap developed by Emotiv and NeuroSky is non-invasive.
Of course, with the continuous evolution of technology, there are further subdivisions in various technological routes. For example, many invasive methods use micro/nano electrode arrays, but Precision Neuroscience's solutions are obviously less harmful to brain tissue than those of companies such as Imec and Neuralink.
Of course, the current progress in China is also very fast. At the beginning of this year, Professor Zhao Guoguang's team from Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University and Professor Hong Bo's team from Tsinghua University School of Medicine announced the completion of the world's first clinical implantation trial of wireless minimally invasive brain computer interface (NEO). The trial was completed three months earlier than Neuralink, and the technical level was not inferior to Neuralink, making it more minimally invasive than Neuralink's solution. Therefore, whether it is technological progress or technological characteristics, Neuralink is currently facing huge challenges.
Previously, foreign media reported that Musk was dissatisfied with the progress of his brain computer interface company Neuralink. Subsequently, Neuralink significantly accelerated its propulsion speed. It is reported that Neuralink is targeting the European market after obtaining approval from the US FDA for the second brain computer interface human trial.
The FDA approved Neuralink to test its brain computer interface implant in a second subject in May, and approved a repair plan for the first subject Noland Arbaugh's problem. Neuralink's goal is to implant its device into 10 people this year, with the hope of having different recipient groups to study various behaviors. Currently, over 1000 quadriplegic individuals have signed the Neuralink subject registry.
In terms of the market, Neuralink has started to try to go out of the United States and plans to submit applications to regulatory agencies in Canada and the United Kingdom in the coming months to conduct similar experiments. Currently, Neuralink has officially launched a patient registration program in the UK, open to adults with specific neurological disorders, who have the opportunity to participate in future clinical trials in the UK. Similar to the requirements in the United States, eligible British participants must be at least 18 years old and suffer from diseases such as quadriplegia, visual loss, hearing loss, aphasia, or severe limb amputation.
In terms of product layout, Neuralink currently only has one product called "Telepathy", while Musk previously revealed another product called "Blindsight". Musk said, "Blindsight is the next.". Blindsight is used to help blind people recover their vision and regain sight. Musk said, "The visual cortex of blind people still exists, and it is possible for them to obtain visual perception through electrical signals. Currently, Blindsight implantation technology has been applied to monkeys."It can be seen that with the intensification of market competition, Neuralink has significantly accelerated its pace.

epilogue

According to McKinsey's calculations, the potential market size of global brain computer interface medical applications is expected to reach $40 billion to $145 billion from 2030 to 2040. But the market space for brain computer interfaces is not only in the medical field, but also in enhancing human functions. Brain computer interfaces are considered a feasible solution, so the market capacity will be larger. However, it is not easy to seize the market share of brain computer interfaces, and the competition is currently very fierce. Musk's Neuralink has also significantly accelerated, and the speed of technology implementation is expected to exceed expectations.