Devices

Mindtrix's cortical stimulation system for visual reconstruction in blindness, with a first investigator-initiated human study reported in December 2025. Sources are Chinese-language press and the company site; study hardware is not fully described.

Catalog specification sheet - Cortical surface

Mindtrix cortical visual reconstruction system

Record ID
BTSD-STUP-0010
Reviewed
2026-10-08
Interface
ecog
Evidence stage
human

Independent, source-linked catalog sheet. Not a manufacturer-issued datasheet, regulatory decision or instructions for clinical use. Human evidence does not establish approval. Source-specific restrictions, conflicts and missing specifications are retained below.

Mindtrix cortical visual reconstruction system

Mindtrix (明视脑机) is developing a visual cortex prosthesis for blind patients. The December 2025 human result came from a patient already undergoing epilepsy surgery, so the study hardware was temporary clinical electrodes, not the company’s own implant. Product details on the company site are listed separately and labeled.

Identity

FieldValue and source scope
DeviceMindtrix (明视脑机) visual reconstruction system: smart glasses with camera, a handheld video processing unit (VPU), a wireless implanted stimulator module (RV-IPG) and a cortical-surface electrode array [1, 2, 3]
Manufacturer明视脑机 (Mindtrix); founder and CEO Liu Bing, associate researcher at the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences; company founded 2024 [1, 3]
Interface classCortical-surface stimulating electrode array over visual cortex with wireless power and data through the scalp [1, 2]
OriginFounder from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Automation; company founded 2024 [1]
First demonstratedAnnounced in December 2025: visual percepts of complex shapes and colors in one patient, in an investigator-initiated study (company claim, reported by China Science Daily) [1, 4]
First human implantThe study patient had temporary therapeutic electrodes placed for occipital lobe epilepsy surgery; the team ran its stimulation study in the window after that implant [1]. Date unreported
Species studiedHuman (one reported patient); non-human primate validation is listed as a research focus on the company site [1, 2]
Regulatory statusInvestigator-initiated trial stage. The founder said the team plans type testing in 2026 and a registration trial for blind patients in 2028 [1]. No approval
FunctionConverts camera images into electrical stimulation patterns on the visual cortex to produce light points, shapes and colors; includes recording and closed-loop modules [1, 2]
Target tissuePrimary visual cortex surface, per the system description [1, 2]

Geometry and architecture

FieldValue and source scope
Interface typeSoft, ultra-thin electrode array with small contacts attached to the visual cortex surface [1]
Array layout
Electrode countCompany product page lists an ECOG-RS dual-function electrode with 128 channels for recording and stimulation [2]. The count used in the reported patient is not stated; the patient’s electrodes were temporary therapeutic electrodes from epilepsy surgery [1]
Pitch
Electrode lengths
Shank width and thickness
Tip and exposed site geometry
Contact coating
Insulation
Insertion method
Anchoring and fixation

Electrode and channel physics

FieldValue and source scope
Exposed site area
Electrode material
Impedance (with measurement frequency)
Noise floor or SNR
Recording modalityDual-function electrode supports recording and stimulation; closed-loop neural signal encoding and decoding listed on the company site [2]
Sampling rate
Stimulation capabilityCortical electrical stimulation to evoke visual percepts; company stimulators MT-RS16 (16 channels) and MT-RS256 (256 channels) are listed as separate research products [2]
Charge injection limit
Reference and ground

Tissue interface and bioresponse

FieldValue and source scope
Target tissue
Insertion trauma and BBB disruption
Vascular disruption risk
Micromotion sensitivity
Gliosis and encapsulation
Neuron loss near sites
Foreign-body response mitigation
Typical failure modes

System architecture

FieldValue and source scope
Onboard electronics
Data pathWireless signals pass through the scalp from the processing unit to the implanted module [1]; the company site describes wireless data and power transfer [2]
Telemetry bandwidth
Sampling rate
PowerWireless power transfer, per the company site [2]
Thermal management
Packaging and hermeticity
MRI compatibility
Surgical complexity
Output connectors

Performance envelope

FieldValue and source scope
Acute yield
Chronic yield
Stability over time
Longevity
Revision and explant experience
Adverse events
Notable demonstrationsChina Science Daily, December 22, 2025: a patient reported colored points and simple shapes when the visual cortex was stimulated, with the eyes covered, in an investigator-initiated study. The patient was not fully blind [1]. Company announcement of ‘global first’ quantitative complex shape and color perception was reported by Science and Technology Daily on December 5, 2025 [3]

Clinical and preclinical evidence

FieldValue and source scope
Human subjectsOne epilepsy patient with a largely intact visual pathway in the reported study [1]
Preclinical cohort
Follow-up duration
IndicationsVision loss from conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma and optic nerve injury, per the founder [1]
Trials and registries
Primary outcomes
Key limitationsOne non-blind patient, temporary electrodes, no peer-reviewed report found, and company statements about the product electrode and implanted stimulator are not matched to the study hardware

Engineering tradeoffs

FieldValue and source scope
StrengthsSoft thin electrode lowers brain irritation per the team; bypasses eye and optic nerve problems [1]
LimitationsPercepts are described as points and simple shapes; blind-patient evidence does not yet exist [1]
Scaling constraints

Version boundary

The reported human result used therapeutic electrodes placed for epilepsy surgery and external stimulation. The company site’s 128-channel ECOG-RS electrode and RV-IPG module describe the intended product; whether they were used in the patient is not stated.

References

  1. China Science Daily via CAS (Chinese). Climbing the BCI ‘Everest’, 22 December 2025.
  2. Mindtrix company site (Chinese). Technology and products.
  3. Science and Technology Daily (Chinese). Seven BCI products launched in Shanghai, 5 December 2025.
  4. Guangzhou Daily (Chinese). BCI conference report, December 2025.