Neural Implant Enables Paralyzed ALS Patient to Type Six Words per Minute
From: IEEE Spectrum - 09/28/2015
By: Eliza Strickland

Typing six words per minute may not sound very impressive. But for paralyzed
people typing via a brain-computer interface (BCI), it's a new world record.

To pull off this feat, two paralyzed people used prosthetics implanted in
their brains to control computer cursors with unprecedented accuracy and
speed.

Read the entire article and view videos (1:30 & 1:55) at:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/biomedical/bionics/neural-implant-enables-paralyzed-als-patient-to-type-6-words-per-minute

Links:
Clinical translation of a high-performance neural prosthesis
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nm.3953.html

BrainGate System
http://braingate2.org/braingateSystem.asp

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Study Advances Possibility of Mind-Controlled Devices
From: Bioscience Technology - 10/01/2015

A study published in the journal Nature Medicine has shown a possible path to
creating effective neural prosthetics.

The study's subjects, only listed as T6 and T7, have Amyotropic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS). The scientists performed surgery on them one year ago to
place a "neural recording device" in the part of the brain in charge of
controlling hand function, notes Bloomberg.

The test documented in the study required T6 and T7 to perform a variety of
tasks, such as moving a cursor to hit different targets on a computer screen.
The device receives electrical impulses from the brain and morphs them into a
computer signal to operate the cursor.

Both test subjects had the highest published performance so far, and even
doubled the results of the previous clinical trial participant, according to
the study.

The hope is that these devices can improve quality of life for people
suffering from paralysis.

Read the entire article and view a video (1:30) at:
http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/videos/2015/10/study-advances-possibility-mind-controlled-devices

Links:
Wireless, Ultra Low Power, Broadband Neural Recording Microsystem
http://nurmikko.engin.brown.edu/?q=node/1&

Watch two people with brain implants control computers with their thoughts
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-29/watch-two-people-with-brain-implants-control-computers-with-their-thoughts