A “coin” mints a miracle of life, a new technology of Chinese brain-computer interface, interpreting the background color of “Chinese-style innovation”
[A “coin” mints a miracle of life, a new technology of Chinese brain-computer interface, interpreting the background color of “Chinese-style innovation”]Only by wearing one device can you “command” all the electronic devices around. This scene that was once only conceived in science fiction works is getting closer and closer to our reality. Recently, on the operating table of Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, an implant with a diameter of only 26 mm and as thin as a coin was successfully embedded in the skull of a 37-year-old patient who lost both arms due to a high-voltage electrical accident through minimally invasive surgery, and “connected” the limbs leading to the electronic world again for the patient with four limbs. Just imagine, when you look at the screen, your thoughts come true, whether it is simple typing or complex games, the computer can complete the operations you want – this is the new life that patients have ushered in after surgery. This set of equipment developed by the Center for Excellence of Brain and Intelligence of the Chinese Academy of Sciences allows patients to smoothly control computers and other electronic devices within three weeks after the operation. At present, the system has been operating stably for more than 100 days, and the patient has not experienced any infection or electrode failure, marking that my country has become the second country in the world to master the clinical technology of high stability invasive brain-computer interfaces. Behind this breakthrough are three hard core “world's best”: this world's smallest implant has a diameter of 26 mm, a thickness of less than 6 mm, and the electrode thickness is only about one percent of the hair. Compared with the American Neuralink technology developed by Musk, China's electrode cross-sectional area has been reduced to 1/5 to 1/7, and the electrode flexibility is more than a hundred times. It makes brain cells almost “conscious” that there are foreign objects next to them, which minimizes damage to brain tissue. New brain-computer interface technology has extraordinary social significance in China today. According to the latest statistics from the Disabled Persons' Federation, there are 4.083 million licensed disabled people in my country who receive basic rehabilitation services. For those who have lost their limbs, the innovation of brain-computer interface technology is undoubtedly an opportunity to regain their lives. At the World Internet Conference, the case shared by the Chinese team was even more touching: amputees used domestically produced prosthetics to write beautiful fonts, and children with autism shouted “mom” for the first time through neurofeedback training. Now, the first clinical trial patient is looking forward to a new goal: to use his mind to control the robotic arm to grasp the water cup within three years and direct the robot dog to assist in daily life. At present, the team is simultaneously promoting research on the treatment of agrosy cervix and spinal cord injury, so that technology can benefit a wider population. The persistence of capturing the glimmer of life has rekindled the fire of hope for millions of people. The latest data shows that my country's brain-computer interface industry has an annual growth rate of 25% leading the world, and the 12 leading brain-computer interface standards have been adopted by ISO International, building a complete ecosystem. When overseas companies focus on commercial monetization, Chinese scientific research teams always regard patient experience as the primary indicator. No matter how technology is innovated, its foothold is always on “people”, which is the starting point of Chinese-style innovation. Traditional brain-computer interfaces often require patients to wear bulky “steel helmets”, while China's minimally invasive solutions reduce surgical wounds by 85%, compressing the rehabilitation cycle to several weeks, continuously reducing the inconvenience of traditional technology. As researchers said, controlling implantation damage to the micron level is to allow patients to exchange for maximum survival dignity at the minimum physical cost. In the future, with the development of technology, ordinary people can also benefit from technology. At this moment, the coin-sized implant not only leaps into the technological ambition to decode neural signals, but also carries the supreme awe of the value of life – this is the most moving background color of Chinese-style innovation.