People living with rare diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or muscular dystrophy as well as those who have suffered from a stroke or spinal cord injury often experience impairment when it comes to communicating with others. Due to paralysis, they lose motor function which makes even basic communication difficult.
Synchron believes they have created a technology which will solve this problem, improving the quality of life of patients living with a variety of diagnoses.
Stentrode
The Stentrode is a small, flexible implant which can be inserted without open brain surgery. It is inserted into the jugular vein using a catheter and then passed through the blood vessels. The procedure is called a cerebral angiography. Researchers believe that this specific technique should help reduce the risk that the patient’s brain will reject the implant.
This implant records the brain’s activity and thoughts. After these records are made, BrainOS software allows patients to, with just their thoughts, utilize control assistive technologies. This use of the Stentrode in combination with BrainOS researchers are calling Thought-to-Text technology.
Researchers are excited by long-term safety data provided from pre-clinical studies of this technology. These preclinical studies also clearly showed that the technology was capable of picking up electrical frequencies that the brain emits.
Clinical Trial
The first clinical trial examining this technology’s safety and efficacy in patients suffering from paralysis has just been initiated. It will enroll five patients with a variety of conditions. The study will take place at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Bethlehem Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. It will be evaluating the combination of a Stentrode implant and BrainOS technology on patients ability to communicate.
Hopefully we will see this new technology become an accessible option for patients in the future that will improve the lives of individuals who are currently unable to communicate with the world.
You can learn more about this technology and its first clinical trial here.
