Austin, Texas-based Phantom Neuro has implanted its Phantom X neural interface in the first human participants of its CYBORG early feasibility study. This is the first time the device has been used in people.
Michael Lo, MD, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, performed the procedures at Cabrini Health in Melbourne, Australia. Each outpatient procedure took about an hour and did not require general anesthesia, the company said Oct. 20.
Phantom X sits beneath the skin over the muscles of a residual limb. When a person with upper-limb loss tries to move missing fingers or a wrist, those muscles still generate electrical signals. The device detects those signals and converts them into wireless commands for a compatible robotic prosthetic.
Connor Glass, MD, founder and CEO of Phantom Neuro, said the company’s goal is to restore limb function safely and cost-effectively, with a patient experience that looks “more like a cosmetic procedure than it does neurosurgery.”
Dr. Lo said the procedure’s relative simplicity could allow the technology to reach a large number of patients.
The company said the study is ongoing and that conclusions about the system’s safety, effectiveness and ability to improve prosthetic control will depend on further evaluation. Phantom X is investigational and not approved for commercial use.
Phantom Neuro is developing its muscle-based interface for prosthetic limbs, exoskeletons and other robotic systems. The company positions it as a more scalable alternative to traditional brain-computer interfaces.
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