World's First Prescription Issued: Brain-Computer Interface Enters Clinical Use at Huashan Hospital

On July 13, the first prescription for the implantable brain-computer interface hand motor function compensation system (NEO) was issued in Shanghai following its market approval, and the world's first implantation surgery was completed at Huashan Hospital, Fudan University. Intraoperative tests showed that the epidural electroencephalography signals collected by the system were stable and of good quality, and the patient's vital signs were stable after the operation. The patient suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident 10 years ago that impaired hand grasping, and functional improvement had reached a plateau after standardized rehabilitation.

The NEO system collects and decodes epidural EEG signals to identify movement intention, establishing an information pathway between the brain and an external functional compensation device to assist in restoring hand grasping. Huashan Hospital completed medical insurance price filing on April 28 and pressed ahead with equipment admission to the hospital, patient screening and preoperative evaluation. The NEO system has been included in Shanghai's Huhuibao supplementary medical insurance, reducing patients' financial burden.