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{{AfC submission|||ts=20230312171108|u=98.155.8.5|ns=118}}
{{Short description|American brain-computer interface company}}
{{Short description|American brain-computer interface company}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company

Revision as of 17:11, 12 March 2023

Synchron
Company typePrivate
IndustryBrain–computer interface
Founded2016; 8 years ago (2016)
Founders
HeadquartersBrooklyn, New York, U.S.
Number of employees
c. 60[1] (2022)
Websitesynchron.com

Synchron is a neurotechnology startup company that develops brain–computer interface (BCI) implants, inserted near the surface of the brain with an endovascular procedure.[2][3][4] Co-founded by CEO Dr. Thomas Oxley and CTO Nicholas Opie in 2016, the company has about 60 employees and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York.[3][1]

Synchron's first product is the Stentrode Motor Neuroprosthesis.[5] The company announced in September 2019 that the first patient was implanted with the Stentrode Motor Neuroprosthesis in Melbourne, Australia.[6] In 2021, Synchron received FDA approval to conduct early feasibility studies and begin human trials in the United States.[7][8] They are the first company to have ever received such FDA approval, granting them the legal rights to conduct BCI trials in human patients.[9] In July 2022, Synchron began enrolling patients in its first U.S. clinical trial. As of August 2022, five patients have been implanted with the Stentrode Motor Neuroprosthesis.[citation needed]

In December of 2022, Synchron completed a $75 million Series C funding round, this included contributions from financiers ARCH Venture Partners, the Gates Frontier Fund, Bezos Expeditions, Google's X Development, the University of Melbourne, and others, along with capital contributions from existing investors.[10][11] The company has raised $145 million in total funding[11] with support from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA),[12] and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.[13]

The company plans to apply for full FDA approval following clinical trials, and will seek to make the device more affordable to the public by applying for Medicare coverage in the United States. According to Wired, Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley has said that the cost of the implant may be "in the order of magnitude of the cost of a car".[14]

Technology

The Stentrode neurovascular implant is inserted into a blood vessel near the motor cortex of the brain, with a minimally-invasive procedure via the jugular vein.[15] The 8mm thick Stentrode is composed of a tubular nitinol mesh,[7] contains 16 electrodes for recording aggregate neuronal activity,[16] and is connected by a fine wire under the skin to a coin-sized implant in the chest — this transmitter unit (called the Synchron Switch) decodes the signals from the motor cortex using machine learning algorithms, and enables bluetooth communication with other devices.[4][17][18] Based on preliminary human trials, it is capable of sending 20 characters per minute.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Levy, Rachael (19 August 2022). "Musk approaches brain chip startup Synchron about deal amid Neuralink delays". Reuters. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  2. ^ Osborne, Jordan (11 April 2022). "The brain implant that can translate your thoughts into text". SBS News. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b Rosso, Cami (18 August 2022). "First Human U.S. Implant: Synchron Brain-Computer Interface". Psychology Today. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b Maldarelli, Claire (January 31, 2023). "Thomas Oxley Wants to Transform Our Brains' Relationship with Computers Forever". Inverse. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Brain-computer interface technology opens up "whole new world" of therapies". NeuroNews. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  6. ^ Whooley, Sean (20 September 2019). "Synchron touts first-in-human implantation for brain-computer interface". MassDevice. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  7. ^ a b Sullivan, Mark (June 3, 2022). "Synchron's nonsurgically implanted BCI could offer new hope for paraplegics". Fast Company. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  8. ^ Jackson, Sarah (July 28, 2021). "This 20-person biotech firm just beat Elon Musk's Neuralink in getting the OK to test brain chip implants in humans with paralysis". Insider. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  9. ^ Wild, Kate (November 6, 2021). "'Our notion of privacy will be useless': what happens if technology learns to read our minds?". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  10. ^ Capoot, Ashley (February 18, 2023). "Brain implant startup backed by Bezos and Gates is testing mind-controlled computing on humans". CNBC. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Synchron Raises $75M Series C Led by ARCH Venture Partners to Advance Endovascular Brain-Computer Interface". Business Wire. Synchron Press Release. December 13, 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  12. ^ "Minimally Invasive "Stentrode" Shows Potential as Neural Interface for Brain". Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). 2016-02-08. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  13. ^ Goodall, Hamish (October 28, 2020). "New Stendrode brain implant allows paralysed people to control a computer with thoughts". 7 News Australia. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  14. ^ Browne, Grace (August 1, 2022). "The Age of Brain-Computer Interfaces Is on the Horizon". Wired. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  15. ^ Mollman, Steve (December 15, 2022). "Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates are making bets on brain interface company Synchron as Elon Musk's Neuralink faces controversy and a federal investigation". Fortune. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  16. ^ Corbyn, Zoë (September 22, 2019). "Are brain implants the future of thinking?". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  17. ^ a b Axe, David (April 20, 2022). "This New Implant Hacks the Brain by Going Through Your Chest". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  18. ^ Albergotti, Reed (November 4, 2022). "You can now use your iPhone with your brain after a major breakthrough". Semafor. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
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