Braingate Tech Seminar

Braingate technology 1



#Brain is the center of nervous system which is present in head, protected by the skull.#Brain controls the whole body actions and reactions.#Neurons are the responsive cells in nervous system that processes and transmits information by electrochemical signals.#There are 100 billion neurons are available in human body linked up with up to 10,000 synaptic connection each.


#Neurons are the constituents of Nervous system and plays the vital role in our daily life.#Neurons have very complex operation to perform and if it stops working then one cannot be able to work.#Nervous system is linked with Brain and is controlled by it. The commands specified by the brain is carried to the various organs through them.#A simplified and elaborated diagram has been given below:-


#Cyberkinetics is a biotech company of America which is laid down by Nicholas Halsopulas a neuroscientist in Chicago University.#Tim Surgenor is the CEO of Cyberkinetics .# The scientists who made the Braingate possible are John Donoghue, Mijail Serruya and General Friehs of Brown University .


#This technology is associated with a brain computer interface chip, computer and brain.#The chip so called is, implanted in human brain in the motor cortex region.#The chip contains an internal signal sensor and external processor that converts neural signals into an output signal or we can say thoughts are directly converted into computer control.#This technology is based on to sense, transmit, analysis and apply the language of neurons.#It consist of a sensor that is implanted on the motor cortex of the brain and a device that analyses brain signals. The signals generated by brain are interpreted and translated into cursor movement in computer screen to control the computer.#The chip is a size of a Aspirin tablet of 2mmx2mm in size.#It is a 96 hair thin electrode sensor that detects brain cell electrical activity.#The chip provides a fast, reliable and unobtrusive connection between the brain of a severely disabled person and personal computer.


#The first clinical test was conducted on Mathew Nagle on 22.06.2004. He was the first person to use the brain computer interface to restore functionality lost due to paralysis. He was paralysized from neck down after being stabbed.#Neurosurgeon Gerhard Friehs implanted the Braingate chip in his brain.#After implantation, he was able to control a computer mouse “cursor”. Using it he was able to press buttons that can control T.V, check e-mails etc.#The observations and results of the first clinical trial was published in the journal “NATURE”.#Second clinical trial was conducted on a 25 years old “QUADRIPLEGIC” Patient. After implantation he was able to switch on lights, adjust T.V volume, change channels and read e-mails using only his brain.#Third experiment was conducted by the University of Pittsburgh on a monkey who has lost a hand in accident. He was implanted with the chip as well as the robotic hand which could able him to feed himself.#Further more experiments are being conducted by the scientists to get far better results.







#The Braingate technology helps the physically impaired person specially the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients or the person affected from spinal injury.


#The clinical trials and other experiments has shown good results and boosted the scientists to do lot more in this field.#Tim Surgenor CEO, Cyberkinetic hopes to develop Braingate in next two years to make it a wireless device that is completely implantable and doesn’t have a plug and making it safer and less visible.#Scientists are predicting that human being can interface the digital world with the Braingate technology, if they are willing for implantation.#Research is on to make the physically impaired Braingate user use his own hand and leg in future.


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Braingate Tech Seminar