Paradromics, Neuralink's rival that wants to give voice back to those who no longer have one

© Paradromics

The brain-computer interface sector is seeing more and more players emerge. Among them is Paradromics. The startup focuses on people who have lost the ability to speak.

Current devices are exhausting

Founded in 2015, the American company aims to help people suffering from certain neurological disorders, such as spinal cord injuries or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lumpinee dementia). These pathologies prevent neural signals from the brain from reaching the vocal cords, tongue and mouth.

This is where Paradromics’ implant, Connexus, comes in. Because these patients currently rely on eye-tracking technology, in which a camera follows their eye movements while they look at an on-screen keyboard. A useful but exhausting device, which can cause eye fatigue. «“So they don't have as many casual conversations with their loved ones as they used to. They end up being very goal- and need-oriented ,” says Matt Angle, the startup's founder.

Connexus is implanted in the motor cortex, a region of the brain responsible for speech, among other things. It is equipped with 421 microelectrodes, thinner than a human hair, that record data from hundreds and thousands of neurons. The chip is connected by a flexible wire inside the neck to an internal transceiver implanted in the chest, which sends information to an external transceiver.

What makes the implant so powerful is its ability to function for 10 years in the human body, the executive assures.

Paradromics' implant is expected to be approved next year

Paradromics has raised $87 million in venture capital and $18 million in public funding. Its device is expected to be approved by U.S. regulators for early clinical trials as early as next year.

“We were very careful in designing our system in terms of the use of materials, the packaging, and even the overall form factor of the device, all of which have been tested in other medical devices in the past,” he said.

The start-up will compete with Neuralink, Elon Musk's company, which already implanted its technology on a first patient at the beginning of the year. Synchron, an Australian firm, also specializes in brain-computer interfaces. It prides itself on transplanting its implant in a less invasive way than Neuralink. According to Matt Angle, these types of devices will not only support people suffering from pathologies, but also potentially increase the abilities of anyone.

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