Paradromics Completes First-In-Human Recording with the Connexus® Brain-Computer Interface

Paradromics Inc., a neurotechnology company developing the highest data-rate brain-computer interface platform, today announced the successful completion of its first-in-human procedure with the Connexus^® Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). The surgical placement of the device, led by University of Michigan neurosurgeon and biomedical engineer Matthew Willsey, MD, PhD, with senior epilepsy surgeon Oren Sagher, MD and a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and engineers, advances research into the broad potential for intracortical BCIs in brain therapeutics.

Dr. Willsey and team demonstrated Connexus can be safely implanted, record electrical brain signals, and be removed intact in less than 20 minutes, using surgical techniques familiar to neurosurgeons worldwide. The Connexus BCI was implanted during an epilepsy resection surgery to better understand how epilepsy influences brain signaling. The procedure confirms the Connexus system can be used in humans, following nearly three years of preclinical studies using the same device.

“This surgery is a key inflection point for Paradromics. We are now a clinical-stage company,” said Matt Angle, PhD, CEO and founder of Paradromics. “We’ve known for some time, based on our preclinical studies, that we have developed a world-class BCI platform. Now with the jump to human surgeries and recordings, we are closer to translating this neurotechnology to patients.” This procedure is the first of many surgeries planned over the next several months.

The Paradromics BCI platform can record neural activity at the level of individual neurons and uses artificial intelligence to translate brain signals into actionable outputs. Their first product, the Connexus BCI, is designed to restore communication for people with severe motor impairments caused by conditions like ALS, brainstem stroke, and spinal cord injury. 

“My lab is researching how we can use more advanced BCI recording platforms, like the Connexus BCI, to develop the next generation of speech and motor assistive devices,” said Willsey. “This work brings us one major step closer to providing treatment to patients with severe unmet medical needs.”

This surgery marks the beginning of clinical efforts for Paradromics with the launch of a clinical trial planned for later this year to study the long-term use and safety of the Connexus BCI, pending regulatory approval.

Read the full press release here.

For more information, contact media@paradromics.com.