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Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

In a significant advance for brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, a University of Michigan research team has achieved the first in-human recording using Paradromics' Connexus device – a wireless, fully implantable BCI designed to restore communication and movement for people living with severe neurological conditions.

The procedure took place on May 14, 2025, during epilepsy surgery, where the device was temporarily placed on the patient's temporal lobe, an area essential for processing sound and memory. This opportunity allowed the team to safely test the device's ability to capture neural signals without adding risk to the patient, as the surgery already required access to the brain.

The Connexus stands out for its compact size – smaller than a dime – and its high-density array of 421 microelectrodes, each thinner than a human hair. Unlike many earlier BCIs, which often relied on fewer electrodes and required external wires, Connexus is engineered to be fully implantable.

The device collects electrical signals from individual neurons, transmitting them via a thin lead to a transceiver implanted in the chest. From there, the data is sent wirelessly to an external computer, where artificial intelligence algorithms interpret the patterns and translate them into actions, such as moving a cursor or generating synthesized speech.

[...] The potential applications of Connexus extend beyond restoring speech and movement. By decoding neural signals at the level of individual neurons, the technology could one day help address mental health conditions or chronic pain by interpreting mood or discomfort directly from brain activity.

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