Paradromics, a neurotech startup based in Austin, Texas, has implanted its first brain-computer interface in a human, according to a June 2 report from CNBC.
Physicians at Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan implanted the interface in a patient who was undergoing neurosurgery to treat epilepsy. The technology was implanted and removed from the brain within 20 minutes.
The milestone, achieved May 14, demonstrates that Paradromics’ system can be safely implanted and can record neural activity.
Paradromics is currently waiting on regulatory approval to begin long-term safety clinical trials in humans.
Paradromics’ system, the Connexus Brain-Computer Interface, aims to help patients with severe motor impairments regain certain movement functions.
The interface is a competitor of Elon Musk-owned Neuralink’s brain-computer device, which was implanted into a human for the first time in January 2024.
The Connexus BCI has not been cleared by the FDA, while Neuralink earned FDA clearance for clinical trials in humans in May 2023.
Paradromics’ interface was implanted by Oren Sagher, MD, professor of neurosurgery at the University of Michigan, and Matthew Willsey, MD, assistant professor of neurosurgery and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan.
