China's Venous Brain Implants Enter First Human Trials

Chinese start-ups and research organisations are rapidly advancing brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, capable of implantation within minutes, according to the South China Morning Post. This development positions Beijing's home-grown players to compete directly with Elon Musk's Neuralink. The Chinese devices allow patients to control digital technology through thought alone, inserted via a vein rather than traditional brain surgery.

Credits: UNSPLASH

StairMed Technology, a Shanghai-based firm, leads efforts in this field. Co-founder Zhao Zhengtuo stated at a Hong Kong health summit that the company develops a less invasive method of device delivery. This involves entry through blood vessels in the neck, guiding the device through the vascular system directly into the brain. The organisation has secured over US$163 million in funding during the past year, attracting investment from major Chinese Big Tech giants, including Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding.

And this vascular insertion programme, announced by StairMed in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aims to place BCIs into specific brain regions, anchoring them outside the vessel wall. Current testing has taken place on sheep. Human trials have not yet commenced. Experts suggest that implanting devices via a vein offers quicker procedures and reduces the inherent life threatening risks associated with invasive brain surgery, which often requires opening the skull to access the brain's cortex.

Duan Wanru, chief physician at Xuanwu Hospital under Beijing's Capital Medical University, confirmed that their hospital is also exploring a similar vascular approach. This method involves positioning the BCI device within the brain's venous sinuses. The hospital has initiated its first human clinical study. Dr Wanru noted that an experienced surgeon can position the device in as little as 10 minutes. She added that no significant safety concerns have emerged, and implants can be removed within a month of operation.

But China's Nankai University previously completed what it called the world's first human trial of a BCI implanted through blood vessels. This shows a broader national drive. The BCI implant device market is expected to expand considerably, projected to reach US$80 billion in the United States alone by 2035, according to a Morgan Stanley report. China has publicly committed to developing at least two or three global competitors in this sector by 2030, indicating a strategic national priority.

The country is not the sole entity pursuing vein-inserted BCIs. A US start-up named Synchron implanted BCIs on 10 patients in Australia and the United States via their jugular veins in 2023, as reported by tech media outlet IEEE Spectrum. These advancements hold significant implications for paralysed patients, particularly quadriplegics who have lost all movement below the neck.

So, with a brain computer interface in place, these individuals may achieve a life closer to that of able-bodied people, according to StairMed's Zhao Zhengtuo. One StairMed trial participant, who received a BCI via conventional brain surgery, demonstrated the technology's practical application. This individual subsequently used the device to serve customers on the Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com, earning approximately 1,800 yuan monthly.

• Chinese organisations are developing brain-computer interfaces for rapid, minimally invasive implantation.

• These devices, inserted via blood vessels, offer a safer, quicker alternative to traditional brain surgery.

• StairMed Technology and Xuanwu Hospital are conducting research and human trials for these systems.

• The global market for BCI implants is projected to reach US$80 billion in the US alone by 2035, with China aiming for significant market presence.

• Patients with paralysis may gain greater autonomy using thought-controlled digital technology.

Source: SCMP