Synchron Pauses Trials of Its Brain Implant Due to Performance Issues
After its latest device failed to perform, brain-computer interface startup Synchon halted clinical trials. The company says it will upgrade the implant’s hardware and is at work on a new device.
Brooklyn-based startup Synchron has paused trials of its brain implant technology due to performance issues, according to sources familiar with the matter. Synchron is competing with Elon Musk's Neuralink in the development of brain-computer interface technology, which aims to allow people to control digital devices using their thoughts.
The company's Stentrode device is inserted into the jugular vein at the base of the neck and connected to a user's brain through a catheter. The latest issue involves a problem with the lead, or cable, that carries signals from the Stentrode to its implanted electronics. Synchron has voluntarily paused enrollment in its trials to address the issue, stating that it does not pose any safety concerns and that the pause is a company decision, not an FDA directive.
The company says it has brought its lead design and manufacturing in-house and is upgrading the entire Stentrode system before resuming enrollment. Synchron's CEO, Tom Oxley, remains confident in the potential of the Stentrode as a first-line therapy for patients with severe motor disorders.
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