Brain technology

BRAINGATE TECHNOLOGY

Presented by:-

B.M.VASUDEVA(08Q61A0503)

Braingate technology


INTRODUCTION

•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.


•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


COMPANY & SCIENTISTS

•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 .

Nicholas Halsopulas


PRINCIPLE

• The principle of operation of the BrainGate Neural Interface System is that with intact brain function, neural signals are generated even though they are not sent to the arms, hands and legs. • These signals are interpreted by the System and a cursor is shown to the user on a computer screen that provides an alternate "BrainGate pathway". The user can use that cursor to control the computer, just as a mouse is used."


CLINICAL TRIALS AND EXPERIMENTS

• 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.


•Second clinical trial was conducted on a 25 years old “QUADRIPLEGIC” Patient. After implantation he wasable to switch on lights, adjust T.V volume, changechannels 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.


Mathew Nagle using Braingate

NAGLE’S STATEMENT“I can't put it into words. It's just—I use my brain. I just thought it. I said, "Cursor go up to the top right." And it did, and now I can control it all over the screen. It will give me a sense of independence.”



Braingate Chip 96 electrode sensors


USEFULNESS OF BRAINGATE TECHNOLOGY

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


ADVANTAGES

• potential to interface with a computer without weeks or months of training.• Its potential to be used in an interactive environment, where the user's ability to operate the device is not affected by their speech, eye movements or ambient noise.• The ability to provide significantly more usefulness and utility than other approaches by connecting directly to the part of the brain that controls hand movement and gestures.


DISADVANTAGES

• The disadvantage of the BrainGate Technology is that at this time, while still being perfected, the switches must be frequenly adjusted which is a time consuming process.

• The BrainGate Neural Interface System has not been approved by the FDA, but has been approved for IDE status, which means that it has been approved for pre-market clinical trials. There are no estimates on cost or insurance at this time.


• 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.• So this idea helps many patients to control the prosthetic devices of their own by simply thinking about the task..

CONCLUSION


QUERIES

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Brain technology