The Command study showed reliable performance of Synchron's Stentrode brain-computer interface implant and no serious adverse events.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are an emerging assistive technology for individuals with motor impairments, enabling the command of digital devices using neural signals. The Stentrode BCI is an impl...

Apple is planning to allow users to natively control iPhones, iPads, and other devices using brain signals later this year, The Wall Street Journal reports. The initiative involves a partnership with Synchron, a neurotechnology startup that produces an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) device called the Stentrode. The Stentrode enables users with severe motor impairments, such as those caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), to control Apple devices using neural signals detected from within blood vessels located above the brain's motor cortex. The Stentrode is implanted through the jugular vein and rests inside a blood vessel on the surface of the brain. The device contains 16 electrodes that can detect motor-related brain activity without requiring open-brain surgery. These neural signals are then translated into digital commands that allow users to interact with an interface. Synchron has implanted the Stentrode in ten patients since 2019 under the FDA's investigational device exemption. One test participant based in Pennsylvania with ALS, who cannot use his arms or hands, is able to use the Apple Vision Pro and other Apple devices through thought alone, although it is slower than conventional input mechanisms. In 2014, Apple introduced the "Made for iPhone" hearing aid protocol as a Bluetooth standard that enables seamless wireless communication between hearing aids and Apple devices. The company is now apparently pursuing a similar approach with brain-computer interfaces, aiming to establish a dedicated industry standard in collaboration with Synchron. Apple is apparently planning to add support for BCIs into its existing Switch Control accessibility framework, which allows input from non-standard devices such as joysticks and adaptive hardware. The company reportedly intends to release this new standard later in 2025. Synchron's approach differs significantly from that of other companies such as Neuralink, which is developing a more invasive implant called the N1. Neuralink's device contains more than 1,000 electrodes embedded directly into brain tissue, providing a higher-resolution neural data stream. This allows for more complex control, including moving a cursor across a screen and typing using mental intention.Tags: Accessibility, The Wall Street Journal This article, "Report: Apple Preparing to Launch Mind-Control Support for iPhones" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

The Stentrode, a microchip that can translate brain signals into actions, has been hailed as a game-changer for those who have lost the use of their arms due to injury or disease

Motor activity in gamma and high gamma bands recorded with a Stentrode from the human motor cortex in two people with ALS, Kacker, Kriti, Chetty, Nikole, Feldman, Ariel K, Bennett, James, Yoo, Peter E, Fry, Adam, Lacomis, David, Harel, Noam, Nogueira, Raul G, Majidi, Shahram, Opie, Nicholas L, Collinger, Jennifer, Oxley, Tom, Putrino, David, Weber, Douglas J

Background Implanted brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) establish direct communication with the brain and hold the potential to enable people with severe disability to achieve control of digital device...

For the first time, an individual has been seen publicly controlling an iPad entirely through thought, thanks to Apple's new brain-computer interface (BCI) protocol and Synchron's implantable Stentrode device. A new video from Synchron shows how Mark, a participant in the company's COMMAND clinical study and a person living with ALS, can navigate the ‌iPad‌'s Home Screen, launch apps, and compose text, all without moving his hands, speaking, or using his eyes. Mark's control of the ‌iPad‌ is powered by a combination of Apple's accessibility feature "Switch Control" and the Stentrode BCI, which is implanted into a blood vessel above the brain's motor cortex. The endovascular implant captures neural signals related to motor intent and wirelessly transmits them to an external decoder. That decoder interfaces directly with iPadOS through Apple's BCI HID standard. The BCI HID protocol enables closed-loop communication between Apple devices and Synchron's technology, with the system dynamically sharing contextual on-screen data to optimize performance and responsiveness. Dr. Tom Oxley, Synchron's founder and CEO said: This is the first time the world has seen native, thought-driven control of an Apple device in action. Mark's experience is a technical breakthrough, and a glimpse into the future of human-computer interaction, where cognitive input becomes a mainstream mode of control. Apple first collaborated with Synchron in early pilot projects using Apple Vision Pro, which Mark controlled through thought in 2024. The integration then expanded to iPhones and iPads, with support built into Apple's accessibility frameworks. Apple is expected to roll out broader support for the BCI HID protocol across its platforms later in 2025. Synchron has now implanted its Stentrode in 10 patients across the United States and Australia, under FDA's investigational device exemption. Unlike Neuralink's more invasive N1 chip, which embeds electrodes directly into brain tissue, Synchron's approach avoids open-brain surgery, relying on a safer, catheter-based procedure through the jugular vein. This article, "Watch Brain-Controlled iPad in Action for the First Time" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

Intravascular electroencephalography (ivEEG) using micro-intravascular electrodes was developed. Cortical-vein ivEEG showed a higher signal-to-noise ratio and finer spatial resolution of somatosensor....

Synchron Inc. raised $200 million to advance its work building brain implants that doctors can insert through blood vessels, avoiding the costly and high-risk surgeries necessary to install devices ma...

YouTube video by BioniChaos

Motor activity in gamma and high gamma bands recorded with a Stentrode from the human motor cortex in two people with ALS, Kacker, Kriti, Chetty, Nikole, Feldman, Ariel K, Bennett, James, Yoo, Peter E, Fry, Adam, Lacomis, David, Harel, Noam, Nogueira, Raul G, Majidi, Shahram, Opie, Nicholas L, Collinger, Jennifer, Oxley, Tom, Putrino, David, Weber, Douglas J

YouTube video by Synchron Inc