NEUROXESS, a Shanghai-based life-science company, has completed China’s first human implantation of a fully integrated, battery-powered brain-computer interface (BCI) system — a key step in moving the technology from lab research toward clinical application.

The surgery was performed by a medical team from Huashan Hospital, affiliated with Fudan University. Only a few companies worldwide, including Elon Musk’s Neuralink, have developed similar fully implanted BCI devices.

According to an announcement made at the annual conference of the Brain-Computer Interface and Interaction Branch of the Chinese Neuroscience Society, the patient — a high-level paraplegic with no movement below the shoulders — achieved mind-control capability just five days after the procedure. After systematic training, the patient reached a brain-control decoding rate of 5.2 bits per second in standard tests, a performance level considered among the best globally, said Mao Ying, president of Huashan Hospital.

Previous BCI systems required external battery packs and power sources. In contrast, NeuroXess’ new device implants the core module — including the battery — entirely inside the body, integrating wireless power and data transmission. This eliminates the need for external equipment and significantly reduces infection risk, explained Tao Hu, founder and chief scientist of NeuroXess.

The battery module is placed subcutaneously in the chest, and heat-generating components are positioned away from the brain through an optimized deep-brain stimulation architecture, further enhancing safety.

To date, NeuroXess has performed 54 human BCI implantations since its founding four years ago. The company plans to complete clinical trial registration next year, accelerating its path to commercialization.

“BCI technology is transitioning from the lab to the clinic, already showing meaningful progress in restoring motor function and decoding language signals,” Mao noted at the conference. “The accelerating integration of AI and BCI is poised to reshape the human future.”

(SD-Agencies)