Brain implants have long been trapped in the realm of science fiction, but a steady trickle of medical trials suggests the tiny devices could play a big part in humanity's future.
Billions of dollars are flowing into a clutch of specialist companies hunting for treatments for some of the most debilitating ailments.In May, a Dutchman paralyzed in a motorcycle accident regained the ability to walk thanks to implants that restored communication between his brain and spinal cord.
And other firms with less prominent bosses are proliferating, offering hope for sufferers of ailments from rare nerve diseases to severe epilepsy.Synchron, a company formed more than a decade ago, raised $75 million this year with backing from the likes of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
Its implant allows patients to use messaging apps or browse online using only eye movements and thoughts.The first goals of the Synchron test, said Dr. David Putrino, who oversaw the medical trial at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, were to make sure the implant was safe and could monitor the brain over long periods.Synchron founder Tom Oxley thinks the technology, known asThe industry must aim to make the implants widely accessible, he told AFP.
As the implants get covered by cells, they are less able to transmit signals from the brain and they function less well.
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