Applications

BrainGate pilot, first human results (2006)

Human evidence

Device: Utah Microelectrode Array (UEA)

First published results of the BrainGate pilot: a 96-microelectrode array in the motor cortex of a man with tetraplegia, decoded into a neural cursor and used to open e-mail, run a television and move a prosthetic hand and robotic arm. Hochberg et al., Nature, 2006.

Paradromics Connexus, Connect-One study

Human evidence

Device: Paradromics Connexus (cortical module)

The chronic human trial of the Paradromics Connexus BCI: FDA IDE approval in November 2025, first implant at University of Michigan Health announced 17 June 2026, targeting speech restoration and computer control.

Synchron COMMAND study results

Human evidence

Device: Stentrode (Synchron)

Results of the COMMAND early feasibility study of the Synchron endovascular BCI: six participants with severe upper limb paralysis, no device-related serious adverse events at one year, and consistent decoding in four of six.

UCSF speech neuroprosthesis (Metzger, 2023)

Human evidence

Device: High-density subdural ECoG array with percutaneous connector (PMT array, Blackrock connector)

High-density surface recordings of speech cortex in a person with severe limb and vocal paralysis, decoded in real time into text, synthesized speech and a facial avatar. Nature, August 2023.

Intracortical speech BCI (Willett, 2023)

Human evidence

A speech-to-text BCI recording spiking activity from four intracortical microelectrode arrays in a participant with ALS: 62 words per minute and a 23.8% word error rate on a 125,000-word vocabulary. Willett et al., Nature, August 2023.

Brain-spine interface (Lorach, 2023)

Human evidence

Device: WIMAGINE (CEA-Clinatec) epidural wireless ECoG implant

A fully implanted digital bridge that reads sensorimotor cortex with WIMAGINE epidural implants and drives epidural stimulation of the lumbosacral spinal cord, letting a person with chronic tetraplegia stand and walk. Nature, May 2023. Europe entry, secondary region.

Handwriting BCI (Willett, 2021)

Human evidence

Device: Utah Microelectrode Array (UEA)

An intracortical BCI that decodes attempted handwriting from motor cortex and types it in real time: 90 characters per minute at 94.1% raw online accuracy in a participant with a paralysed hand. Nature, May 2021.

Neurally controlled robotic arm, reach and grasp (2012)

Human evidence

Two people with long-standing tetraplegia used signals from a 96-channel microelectrode array in motor cortex to direct a robotic arm in three-dimensional reach and grasp, including drinking coffee from a bottle. Nature, 16 May 2012.

Speech neuroprosthesis for anarthria (Moses, 2021)

Human evidence

Device: High-density subdural ECoG array with percutaneous connector (PMT array, Blackrock connector)

A 128-electrode high-density ECoG array on the speech cortex of a person with anarthria after a brainstem stroke, decoding a 50-word vocabulary into sentences in real time at 15.2 words per minute. NEJM, 2021.

Bidirectional BCI with tactile feedback (Flesher, 2021)

Human evidence

Device: Utah Microelectrode Array (UEA)

Two intracortical arrays in motor cortex control a robotic arm while two in somatosensory cortex evoke touch by microstimulation. Trial times on a clinical upper-limb test fell by half, from a median 20.9 s to 10.2 s. Science, 1 May 2021.

Intracortical typing BCI (Pandarinath, 2017)

Human evidence

Device: Utah Microelectrode Array (UEA)

A point-and-click typing BCI tested by three BrainGate2 participants with paralysis. Typing rates of 31.6, 39.2 and 13.5 correct characters per minute, 1.4 to 4.2 times faster than earlier intracortical BCIs. eLife, February 2017.

7 degree-of-freedom neuroprosthetic arm (Collinger, 2013)

Human evidence

Device: Utah Microelectrode Array (UEA)

Two 96-channel intracortical arrays in the motor cortex of a 52-year-old with tetraplegia, used to control an anthropomorphic prosthetic limb in seven dimensions. 91.6% success on reaching tasks after 13 weeks. The Lancet, February 2013.

Neuralink PRIME study enrollment (2026)

Human evidence

Device: Neuralink N1 (flexible-thread implant)

How many people have a Neuralink N1? The registry, Reuters and trade press give different counts, from 15 planned to 28. A sourced comparison of what each figure measures, as of mid-2026.

Stentrode SWITCH study (first in human)

Human evidence

Device: Stentrode (Synchron)

The first-in-human trial of an endovascular BCI: a stent-electrode array in the superior sagittal sinus. Four patients with severe upper-limb paralysis, 12 months of follow-up, no serious adverse events and no vessel occlusion. Royal Melbourne Hospital, 2019 to 2022.

Utah array failure analysis, Barrese 2013

Preclinical

Device: Utah Microelectrode Array (UEA)

A retrospective study of 78 intracortical arrays in 27 rhesus macaques. Separates complete failures, elective terminations and still-active implants, with connector, meningeal and insulation failure findings.

Precision cortical-array feasibility, 2025

Human evidence

Device: Precision Layer 7 Cortical Interface

Thin-film cortical-array delivery in pigs and cadavers, plus intraoperative recording in five patients. Speech-onset detection is separated from word decoding and from a chronic wireless BCI.

PtNRGrid human and rat cortical mapping, 2022

Human evidence

Device: PtNRGrid platinum-nanorod surface arrays

High-density cortical mapping with PtNRGrids: rat barrel-cortex structure, grasp-related activity in an awake human patient and epileptic-discharge spread during surgery. Not a chronic assistive BCI trial.

Flexible probe: acute rat neurochemical modulation, 2024

Preclinical

Device: Flexible neurochemical-release and recording probe (CMU and Pittsburgh)

Acute anesthetized-rat barrel-cortex recording around electrically triggered glutamate and GABA release. Brief post-stimulus effects, not chronic treatment or BCI task performance.

Hydrogel fiber probes: mouse circuit studies and chronic recording, 2021

Preclinical

Device: Hydrogel-hybrid multifunctional fiber probe (MIT)

Optogenetic, pharmacological and behavioral mouse experiments with hydrogel-hybrid fibers, plus isolated-unit recordings through 168 days. Independent readout and fluidic follow-up are narrower than the physical wire count and electrical endpoint.

NeuroString: mouse brain and gut chemical sensing, 2022

Preclinical

Device: NeuroString stretchable neurochemical sensor (Stanford)

Monoamine sensing during mouse reward learning, optogenetic/pharmacological tests and gut motility/inflammation experiments. Chemical estimates and assay-specific cohorts, not human treatment or spike-based BCI control.

Neuropixels Ultra: animal waveform and cell-type studies, 2025

Preclinical

Device: Neuropixels Ultra

Dense extracellular recordings improve tested mouse visual-cortex yield and cell-type classification, with small-footprint signals examined across regions and species. Resampled comparisons are not always separate probe experiments.

Neuropixels 1.0 NHP: acute macaque multi-area recordings, 2025

Preclinical

Device: Neuropixels 1.0 NHP long-shank probe

Four example experimental programs use long-shank Neuropixels probes in macaques for sensory, motor and cognitive questions. Sequential banks, multi-probe populations and clinical claims are kept separate.

Neuropixels: 2017 rodent recordings and reported failures

Preclinical

Device: Neuropixels 1.0 recording probe

The original Neuropixels study records more than 700 isolated neurons with two probes and reports chronic event-rate stability alongside electronic damage, local activity loss and late implant detachment.

Neuropixels 2.0: chronic rodent tracking, 2021

Preclinical

Device: Neuropixels 2.0 alpha single/four-shank probes

Alpha probes and motion correction track visual-cortex units across days and weeks, with cohort-specific tracking estimates and an explicit one-mouse discontinuity. Sequential sites are not simultaneous channels.

Flex2Chip: slice recording and acute mouse seizure mapping, 2023

Preclinical

Device: Flex2Chip flexible-array CMOS interface

A 720-site cerebellar-slice array isolates 36 units; a separate 504-site acute mouse surface array tracks changing seizure-wave trajectories. Neither experiment is a chronic clinical implant study.

UFTE: longitudinal rodent tracking and neuronal ensembles, 2024

Preclinical

Device: Ultra-Flexible Tentacle Electrodes (UFTE)

Four-rat implantation, two-rat 3.5-month tracking and separate two-mouse tetrode follow-up to ten months. Unit disappearance, tracking methods and sampled histology stay visible; no human or lifelong implant result is claimed.

Argo: rat spikes and sheep auditory surface mapping, 2021

Preclinical

Device: Argo microwire-CMOS recording system

Acute anesthetized rat penetrating recordings isolate 791 units; separate two-sheep surface recordings map auditory evoked potentials on over 30,000 channels. Neither is chronic human Connexus evidence.

Microwire-CMOS: isolated retina and acute awake-mouse recordings, 2020

Preclinical

Device: Stanford microwire-CMOS bundles, 2020

A 138-wire isolated rat-retina experiment yields 152 units; separate 135-251-wire bundles record acute cortical/striatal activity in head-constrained mice on a treadmill. Bench aging is not chronic implantation.

StimNET: chronic mouse intracortical microstimulation, 2023

Preclinical

Device: StimNET ultraflexible stimulation thread

Published mouse imaging and wheel-response study: low-current activation and months-long behavioral detection, with cortical-depth limits, unequal follow-up, accidental DC injury and backend connector failure retained.

µSEEG: acute human cortical recording, 2024

Human evidence

Device: µSEEG flexible stylet-guided depth electrode

Two MGH participants, ten-minute intraoperative temporal-cortex recordings with short 64-channel PEDOT:PSS arrays; anesthesia and auditory responses, not chronic human depth or single-unit validation.

Neurotassel: mouse learning and chronic recordings, 2019

Preclinical

Device: Neurotassel elastocapillary filament arrays

China-secondary coverage: separate 16-channel mouse learning and 3-6-week recording cohorts, with partial neuron tracking, two animals losing spikes and distinct 61-channel optogenetic tests.

Neuropixels Quad Base: mouse sensorimotor sequences, 2026

Preclinical

Device: Neuropixels 2.0 Quad Base probe

July 2026 preprint: dual Quad Base probes,3,072 channels,40 sessions in six head-fixed mice. Offline licking-variable decoding and functional links, with computational NP 2.0-like controls and unit-filter boundaries.

Neuropixels Opto: mouse circuit control and optotagging, 2026

Preclinical

Device: Neuropixels Opto photonic prototype

Published mouse experiments: acute cortical activation, circuit-mediated suppression and 261 optotagged units across 40 sessions in 26 mice. Cohorts and quality criteria are separated; no chronic assistive BCI claim.

CHIME: acute mouse olfactory-bulb recordings,2020

Preclinical

Device: CHIME glass-gold microwire CMOS interface, 2020

Anesthetized mouse olfactory-bulb CHIME recordings:200-wire MEA1k bundles,156 ±36 good-SNR connected pixels across seven experiments,23-minute to2-hour sessions. No invented mouse count or chronic yield.

StimDust: acute rat sciatic-nerve stimulation,2020

Preclinical

Device: StimDust ultrasonic nerve stimulator,2020

Six acute male-rat subjects with observed wireless muscle twitch, three with quantitative recruitment. Pulse-event replicates, closed/open surgical conditions and excluded wrong-duration pulses remain explicit.

ME-BIT: rat direct-contact and pig vascular stimulation, 2022

Preclinical

Device: ME-BIT magnetoelectric nerve stimulator, 2022

Acute ME-BIT rat sciatic stimulation and pig femoral/intercostal vascular-lead proof of concept. Two-versus-three rat scope and eight-pig Methods versus one reported pig are retained; open surgery is not hidden.

Magnetoelectric network: acute pig spinal stimulation, 2025

Preclinical

Device: Magnetoelectric network spinal stimulators, 2025

Two acute minipig experiments with two then four individually addressed wireless IPGs and epidural leads. Selective muscle recruitment, placement-dependent thresholds and command-induced EMG noise are kept separate from rehabilitation.

DOT: two acute human motor-cortex tests, 2024

Research

Device: DOT magnetoelectric epidural stimulator, 2024

Two intraoperative DOT tests during tumor resection: one direct cortical placement and one with dura laid back over the target. Evoked hand movement, not chronic human therapy or depression treatment.

DOT: chronic pig cortical stimulation, 2024

Preclinical

Device: DOT magnetoelectric epidural stimulator, 2024

Three stimulated pigs within eight animals and ten implants across four cohorts. 20-35-day motor responses, one-animal impedance tracking and early design changes stay separate from human therapy.

Endocisternal interface: sheep study, 2023-2024

Preclinical

Device: Endocisternal catheter and ME interface, 2023-2024

Preprint reports ten acute and two survival sheep; published supplement preserves inflammation, pain-related heart-rate interpretation and artifact controls. Wireless and benchtop recordings remain separate.

MNM: rat reflex and severed-nerve bridge, 2023

Preclinical

Device: Self-rectifying magnetoelectric metamaterial, 2023

Six rats across distinct ME-metamaterial nerve assays, including anesthesia-suppressed reflex triggering, acute severed-nerve electronic bridging and one closed-wound animal. Trace counts and histology are not cohort sizes.

PUF-addressed ME implants: Hydra and rat tests

Preclinical

Device: PUF-addressed ME multisite stimulator, 2021-2022

Two nearby Hydra demonstrate synchronized contractions with shared-transmitter ME implants; a separate anesthetized rat experiment shows graded sciatic responses. Neither is cardiac pacing or spinal rehabilitation.

MagNI: Hydra muscle activation, 2020

Preclinical

Device: MagNI current-controlled ME implant, 2020

MagNI drives stereotrodes for Hydra GCaMP6s muscle-imaging tests. Greater-than-200% fluorescence increases follow five-second pulse trains; no rat spinal treatment or clinical pain outcome is reported.

Two-film ME: Parkinsonian rat rotations, 2020

Preclinical

Device: Two-film PVDF ME headstage, 2020

Three hemi-Parkinsonian rats receive head-mounted PVDF ME stimulation through implanted STN arrays. Reduced methamphetamine-induced rotations are not human Parkinson treatment.

Fully implanted ME: rat place preference, 2020

Preclinical

Device: Fully implanted two-film PZT ME stimulator, 2020

Three rats tested 1-3 days after surgery prefer the coil that activates a buried PZT two-film MFB stimulator. Six trials per rat are repeated observations, not 18 animals.

MEND: mouse VTA reward and optical response, 2024

Preclinical

Device: MEND magnetoelectric nanodiscs, 2024

VTA nanodisc injections support transgene-free conditioned place preference; separate AAV-GCaMP6s photometry follows responses to three months with declining efficacy.

MEND: mouse STN rotational behavior, 2024

Preclinical

Device: MEND magnetoelectric nanodiscs, 2024

Nine MEND-injected mice show increased contralateral rotations under magnetic stimulation, compared with particle and PBS controls. No Parkinsonian lesion or symptom rescue is established.

MOTE: mouse cortical recording, 2025

Preclinical

Device: MOTE optical tetherless recorder, 2025

Six mice carry eight MOTEs across surface and intracortical tests. Four of six embedded devices provide decoded LFPs; a weakened day-365 signal in one mouse requires averaging.

SCOPe: mouse optical interface tests

Preclinical

Device: SCOPe subdural CMOS optical probe

Separate mouse assays test electrical stimulation with fluorescence imaging, blue optogenetics with electrode recording, and red stimulation with GCaMP imaging. Cohort size is not inferred.

SCOPe: macaque reach-speed decoding

Preclinical

Device: SCOPe subdural CMOS optical probe

One macaque in the 2023 preprint supplies head-fixed motor-cortex calcium imaging and off-line speed decoding. Published supplement defines the decoder; no closed-loop prosthesis is shown.

Neuropixels Opto: cortical activation and inhibition

Preclinical

Device: Neuropixels Opto photonic prototype

Separate mouse preparations test local excitatory activation and circuit-mediated inhibition. The opsin drives inhibitory neurons; it does not directly hyperpolarize every silenced cell.

Neuropixels Opto: parallel cell-type optotagging

Preclinical

Device: Neuropixels Opto photonic prototype

261 tagged units across 40 sessions in 26 mice, using distinct blue/red opsin strategies. Count denominators, dual-color cross-sensitivity and unit-quality thresholds remain explicit.

MIT drawn fibers: mouse recording, light and drug perturbation, 2015

Preclinical

Device: MIT thermally drawn multimodal polymer fiber, 2015, MIT thermally drawn tin multielectrode fiber, 2015

Mouse medial-prefrontal experiments distinguish integrated polymer-fiber optoelectrophysiology and drug delivery from tin-fiber recording. Two-month function and three-month histology are separate endpoints.

MIT multifunctional fibers: mouse opsin delivery and projection mapping, 2017

Preclinical

Device: MIT graphite-polymer multifunctional fiber, 2017

One-step implantation/transfection, prefrontal and amygdala-projection optoelectrophysiology, behavior and twelve-week recording examples. Source disagreements in geometry, cohorts and stimulation are kept visible.

Zhejiang University: first Chinese human Utah-array implant, robotic arm control, 2020

Human evidence

Device: Utah Microelectrode Array (UEA)

One 72-year-old participant with C4 tetraplegia, two Utah arrays in motor cortex placed by a robot, and a personalized nonlinear decoder trained over four months to drive a robotic arm and hand. Announced 16 January 2020 by Zhejiang University; no peer-reviewed paper was read.

Zhejiang University: Chinese handwriting trajectory decoding from motor cortex, 2025

Human evidence

Device: Utah Microelectrode Array (UEA)

One participant with C4 spinal cord injury, two Utah arrays in left hand-area motor cortex, attempted writing of 180 Chinese characters decoded with an LSTM and a DILATE loss. 81.7% template recognition on 180 characters; 91.1% on a 1,000-character set after six sessions were fused.

Human intraoperative single-neuron recording with uFINE ultraflexible arrays, 2026

Human evidence

Device: StairMed WRS ultra-flexible wireless BCI

16 awake patients undergoing DBS electrode placement or tumor resection, 128 or 256 site ultraflexible arrays, 719 single units from 1302 valid channels in 11 patients, up to 135 units at once, and word-repetition tuning in prefrontal cortex. Shanghai Institute of Neuroscience, Huashan Hospital and Xijing Hospital (Nature Communications, April 2026).

Jiangsu cervical SCI epidural stimulation protocol

Research

Registered observational protocol for short-term epidural stimulation in cervical spinal cord injury at Jiangsu Province Hospital. Device manufacturer, enrollment and outcomes are not verified.