NEW YORK, May 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brain–computer interface company Precision Neuroscience Corporation (Precision) and a neurosurgery team from the Mount Sinai Health System now hold the world record for number of electrodes placed on and recording cortical data from a human brain. The record—a total of 4,096 electrodes—was achieved in April 2024, at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York, as part of an ongoing clinical study testing the company’s implant.
Electrode count is a key metric in the field of brain–computer interfaces because it determines how much data can be transmitted to and from the brain, impacting the interface system’s capabilities. The previous published record for number of electrodes recording from a human brain was 2,048, demonstrated by Tan et al in 2023.
Precision’s implant, the Layer 7 Cortical Interface, is a thin-film microelectrode array containing 1,024 miniature electrodes, packed into a space of approximately 1.6 square cm. It is engineered to sit on the brain’s cortical surface, mapping electrical activity at a high resolution. The device’s modular design allows for multiple arrays to be placed alongside one another, mapping larger regions of brain activity in high resolution. During the record-setting procedure, the Mount Sinai neurosurgery team, led by Joshua B. Bederson, MD, Chair of Neurosurgery for the Mount Sinai Health System, placed four of Precision’s arrays onto the surface of a patient’s brain, covering an area of approximately 8 square cm with electrodes. Precision’s system streamed cortical data from all four arrays, generating a detailed visualization of the brain’s motor-sensory boundary—a critical landmark that neurosurgeons must navigate during surgery.
“It is easy to see the impact that high resolution cortical mapping could have in the operating room. It could be used to guide more precise and efficient procedures, which could potentially lead to better outcomes for patients,” said Dr. Bederson.
“Precision’s brain–computer interface system was designed for scalability—meaning that we can continue to add electrodes to the surface of the brain without damaging tissue,” said Benjamin Rapoport, MD, PhD, Precision’s co-founder and Chief Science Officer. “This record is a significant step towards a new era. The ability to capture cortical information of this magnitude and scale could allow us to understand the brain in a much deeper way.”
Precision is a leader in the development of brain–computer interfaces for medical use. Since its founding in 2021, the company has developed and validated its device and acquired a proprietary facility for commercial-scale manufacturing. Precision is currently testing its implant in patients through research collaborations with West Virginia University’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, Perelman School of Medicine (Penn Medicine), and Mount Sinai Health System in New York. The company plans to release its first commercial product next year.
The Layer 7 is an investigational device that is not available for sale in the United States.
Dr. Rapoport is a faculty member in the Department of Neurosurgery at Mount Sinai and reports to Dr. Joshua Bederson. Neither Dr. Bederson nor Mount Sinai have a financial interest in Precision Neuroscience. All Precision Neuroscience research conducted at Mount Sinai is conducted by independent investigators without financial ties to the company.
About Precision
Precision Neuroscience is working to provide breakthrough treatments for the millions of people worldwide suffering from neurological illnesses. The company is building the only brain–computer interface designed to be minimally invasive, safely removable, and capable of processing large amounts of data. To learn more about how Precision is connecting human intelligence and artificial intelligence, visit www.precisionneuro.io.
Contact: media@precisionneuro.io
