People Let a Startup Put a Brain Implant in Their Skulls--for 15 Minutes

In April and May, surgeons at West Virginia University placed thin strips of a cellophane-like material on the brains of three patients. Made by New York-based startup Precision Neuroscience, the thumbnail-sized strips are designed to conform to the surface of the brain without damaging its delicate tissue. During the 15 minutes the devices were in place, the implants were able to read, record, and map electrical activity in part of the patients' temporal lobes, which helps process sensory input. The patients were already in the hospital to have brain tumors removed, and doctors used Precision's devices alongside standard electrodes to determine the location of their tumors. Although just a small pilot study, it puts Precision one step closer to building a brain-computer interface, or BCI--a system that provides a direct communication link between the brain and an external device.