Synchron, a New York, US-based endovascular brain-computer interface (BCI) company developing technology to restore functionality in patients with severe paralysis, has announced enrollment in the COMMAND trial has commenced at the University of Pittsburgh (the “University”), Pittsburgh, PA.
If all goes well, paralysis patients may well be able to communicate with others with only their brain signals driving digital devices.
The COMMAND trial is an early feasibility study (EFS) funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), & will primarily assess safety while beginning to explore quantified efficacy measures of Synchron’s Stentrode in patients with severe paralysis with the goal of enabling the patient to control digital devices, hands-free, according to a company press release.
The COMMAND trial is being conducted under the first investigational device exemption (IDE) awarded by the FDA to a company assessing a permanently implanted BCI. This new Site at the University marks the second approved COMMAND trial location, joining Mount Sinai in New York.
The Stentrode is implanted within the motor cortex of the brain via the jugular vein in a minimally-invasive endovascular procedure. Once implanted, it detects & wirelessly transmits motor intent, restoring a capability for severely paralyzed patients to control personal devices with hands-free point-and-click. The trial will assess the impact of tasks such as texting, emailing, online shopping, & telehealth services.
