Synchron, Competitor to Musk’s Neuralink, Prepares for Large-Scale Brain Implant Trial
Synchron Inc., a competitor to Elon Musk's Neuralink, is gearing up for a large-scale clinical trial for its brain implant device. CEO Thomas Oxley stated that the company will launch an online registry to recruit patients for the trial, which aims to include dozens of participants.
Synchron, based in New York, is ahead in testing its brain implant compared to Neuralink. The device is intended to help paralyzed patients type using brain signals. The company has already received US authorization for preliminary testing and has implanted its device in six patients.
Synchron is now analyzing data from these tests to prepare for the larger trial. The company aims to include patients with ALS, stroke, and multiple sclerosis in the trial. Collaborating institutions include Mount Sinai, the University at Buffalo Neurosurgery, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Synchron and Neuralink compete in the brain-computer interface (BCI) device market, but no company has received final FDA approval for a BCI brain implant.
Synchron's device is delivered via a large vein next to the motor cortex, different from Neuralink's surgical implantation into the brain cortex. Synchron has also invested in manufacturing capabilities and has attracted interest from investors like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.