The first human trials for a device that is able to read signals from the brain have been successfully performed. 

The Stentrode device, which is roughly the size of a matchstick, is placed via a keyhole incision into the neck in a vein just above the motor cortex – an area of the brain that is culpable for enabling voluntary bodily movements. It is able to read signals from the brain and then display them in the form of actions via a computer screen. 

For Philip O’Keefe, this device has proved to be a revelation. Philip, who is 60 and has motor neurone disease, is one of the trialists. Sadly, he has lost a lot of strength in his arms which means using a mouse on a computer is difficult. With the Stentrode, Philip was able to achieve a click accuracy of over 90 percent and carry out various click-and-zoom tasks. This means that he is able to perform everyday computer actions such as surfing the internet or even writing an email.

To get the best out of this device, the brain is somewhat retrained. For example, in Philip’s case, an algorithm is created for when he thinks about tapping his left ankle. When he thinks of this particular action, an algorithm is formed representing a single left click on a mouse. This information is picked up by additional software which includes an infra-red receiver and eye-tracking software.

The device was first envisioned back in 2011 by Tom Oxley – a neurologist Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne.

“To bring this technology to fruition, to now get it to the clinical stage where it is actually helping someone, is what we dreamed about when we started out,” says Oxley.