Implantable brain-machine interfaces

Abstract

Research and development of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) are now ongoing to support severely disabled people due to intractable neurological disease, spinal cord injury and stroke etc. Implantable brain-machine interfaces using intracranial electrodes require surgical intervention. However, it may achieve higher performance. Here I describe the trends of domestic and international BMI research for clinical application.

In USA, clinical research of BMIs using micro–needle electrode array are ongoing in University of Pittsburgh and in Brown University. They reported that three dimensional real time control of a robotic arm and writing using a mouse cursor were successfully performed by severely disabled people. We demonstrated that, real time control of a robotic arm was successfully performed by patients with intractable epilepsy or intractable pain whom intracranial electrodes were temporarily implanted. And most recently we demonstrated that a severely disabled patient with ALS successfully controlled a robotic arm and writing.

A fully implantable device is another key to clinical application for implantable BMIs. Development of 40 to 100 channel implantable devices are ongoing in USA, France and Germany. However clinical application of these implantable devices has not been reported yet. We developed a 128–ch electrocorticographic fully implantable device using a contour fitting 3D cortical electrodes and completed chronic implantation in monkey for 6 months. Translational research with companies is indispensable for clinical application. We have to establish a business model and perform strategic pharmaceutical affairs based on it.

From technological point of view, implantable BMIs will be clinically applied in the next 5 to 10 years. Now it's time to think well about its application.