Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up. Aamir Ahmed Khan, PhD, Principal Electrical Engineer for Paradromics, works on the Transceiver which connects to the brain implants. Austin based Paradromics is developing a brain-computer interface to aide disabled and non-verbal patients with communication.
Julia Robinson | The Washington Post | Getty Images Good morning! This Fourth of July week kicked off with some announcements in the neurotech field. The brain implant startup Paradromics is taking steps to prepare for its first in-human trial next year, and the company announced on Monday that it has launched its official patient registry . Founded in 2015, Paradromics is building a brain-computer interface, or a BCI, called the Connexus Direct Data Interface.
A BCI is a system that deciphers brain signals and translates them into commands for external technologies. Paradromics' system will initially serve as an assistive communication device that can turn brain signals into outputs like text or synthesized speech. This means patients with severe paralysis could eventually use it to regain their ability to communicate.
BCIs have been studied in academia for decades, and several other companies, including Elon Musk's Neuralink, have been developing their own systems. The companies' designs and ambitions all vary, but the industry has heated up in recent years thanks to investment from prominent backers like Musk, Microsof.