VOA科学技术2014--Report: Company Plans Major Human Testing of Brain-computer Device

A U.S.-based developer of a brain-computer implant¹ is reportedly preparing to carry out major testing of its device on humans.

The company is called Synchron. The Reuters news agency reported that Synchron recently launched on online system that permits patients to express interest in taking part in a large research study, or trial.

The company has also been in contact with more than 100 research centers that want to support the study, Synchron chief executive Thomas Oxley told Reuters.

Synchron's device is known as a brain-computer interface². It is designed to treat individuals who experience paralysis³ caused by injury or disease. The device contains a small computer built to electronically communicate with the brain.

The first tests aim to use the brain-computer interface to process brain signals to help paralyzed patients type on a computer.

Synchron's interface is similar to a device currently being tested by its American competitor, Neuralink. One difference is that Neuralink's device is designed to be implanted inside the skull⁴.

Synchron's device uses a less invasive implant method known as endovascular. The company says this involves a vein⁵ carrying the device into a part of the brain known as the motor cortex. This part of the brain produces signals to direct body movements.

Synchron is farther along in the development of its implant than Neuralink, Reuters reports. Neuralink's progress has mainly been announced by company chief Elon Musk⁶ on the X social media service that he owns. So far, Neuralink has said its device has been implanted in one paralyzed patient.

Testing implants⁷ in patients with brain damage can be difficult. This is because an individual's brain may be so severely⁸ damaged that there is not effective signaling to record.

Synchron's Oxley said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked his company to test stroke patients using a non-invasive method to see if they would be good implant candidates.

In 2020, Synchron said experiments involving paralyzed patients in Australia found the individuals could use its device to type letters into a computer at a higher rate than in earlier studies.

Synchron received U.S. approval in July 2021 to carry out early testing. It has implanted its devices in six patients so far. Tests involving four patients in Australia showed no serious side effects, the company has reported.

Synchron says it will be examining data from its current testing to prepare for the larger study. The company must still receive FDA approval to move forward with the new study.

Several U.S. hospitals have cooperated with Synchron on its current testing program. These include Mount Sinai in New York, the University at Buffalo⁹ Neurosurgery and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The company has said it hopes to involve these same medical centers in the larger trial.

Dr. David Lacomis is chief of UPMC's Neuromuscular Division. He told Reuters his team is still involved in the current testing program and said "the study is going well."

The Department of Neurosurgery in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo has two patients in the current test program.

The head of that effort is department chief Dr. Elad Levy¹⁰. He told Reuters, "the first and only stroke patient" is taking part in the study. Levy said he feels that is important because this is a large population that might see improvements from Synchron's device.

He added that he was hopeful and excited about the new research and future deployment¹¹ of the technology.

Words in This Story

implant - n. a device placed inside the body in a medical operation

paralysis - n. being unable to move all of part of your body because of injury or disease

type - v. to write something using a keyboard

skull - n. the structure of bones that form the head and face of a person or animal

invasive - adj. done by cutting into or putting something into the body

vein - n. a tube that carries blood to the heart from other parts of the body

stroke - n. a sudden change in the blood supply to a part of the brain that sometimes causes a loss of movement in the body

optimistic - adj. hoping or believing that good things will happen in the future

1 implant   

vt.注入，植入，灌输

参考例句：

• A good teacher should implant high ideals in children.好教师应该把高尚理想灌输给孩子们。
• The operation to implant the artificial heart took two hours.人工心脏植入手术花费了两小时。

2 interface   

n.接合部位，分界面；v.(使)互相联系

参考例句：

• My computer has a network interface,which allows me to get to other computers.我的计算机有网络接口可以与其它计算机连在一起。
• This program has perspicuous interface and extensive application. 该程序界面明了，适用范围广。

3 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

4 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

5 vein   

n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络

参考例句：

• The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
• The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。

6 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

7 implants   

n.（植入身体中的）移植物( implant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters. 激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Perhaps the most far-reaching project is an initiative called Living Implants From Engineering (LIFE). 也许最具深远意义的项目，是刚刚启动的建造活体移植工程 (LIFE)。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

8 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

9 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

10 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

11 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。