China's National Medical Products Administration announced that it has granted approval to Neuracle Technology (Shanghai) Co. to sell a brain implant for adult patients partially paralyzed due to spinal cord injury, Reuters reports. This marks the world's first approval for commercial use of such a device. The device is approved for use in patients aged 18 to 60 who received a paralysis diagnosis at least one year ago and have been in stable condition for six months following treatment.
Developed by the Shanghai-based Neuracle Technology, the system includes implanted EEG electrodes linked to a pneumatic, robotic glove that can grasp objects. It is built for partially paralyzed adults who still retain some upper arm function, the country’s National Medical Products Administration said in its announcement.
According to a report from Bloomberg, multiple brain-computer interface startups have received support from the Chinese government, which sees the sector as a growing, strategic industry. That includes pledges to streamline regulatory reviews and reimbursement pathways, as the country seeks to compete globally with companies such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink, as well as Synchron, Precision Neuroscience and others.
The South China Morning Post reported that Neuracle’s approach includes a coin-sized wireless device placed on the brain’s outer surface—and that the share prices of other Chinese BCI developers surged on the news of the NMPA approval.
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