Li Xiaojian of Weiling Medical: Brain-computer interface technology is opening a new era of integration of consciousness and AI

If there is any technology that is closest to science fiction, it must be the brain-computer interface. In recent years, brain-computer interfaces have not only achieved breakthroughs in repairing the central nervous system, but also brought hope to the blind, the paralyzed, and the deaf. These miracles are just the tip of the iceberg of brain-computer interfaces. Many seemingly fantastic ideas are becoming reality.

On November 22, 2024, at the "Third Nandujiang Smart Healthcare and Rehabilitation Industry Summit Forum", Li Xiaojian, founder and chairman of Shenzhen Weiling Medical Technology Co., Ltd., shared the application prospects of implantable brain-computer interface (iBCI) technology in the medical field with the theme of "The Road to Medical Devices with Implantable Brain-Computer Interface Technology".

"Brain-computer interface technology is opening a new era of the integration of consciousness and AI." Li Xiaojian explained that Neuralink is a brain-computer interface. At present, the technical paths in the field of brain-computer interface are mainly divided into invasive and non-invasive. The basis for judgment is whether the electrodes are surgically implanted into the cerebral cortex, that is, wearable brain-computer interface and implantable brain-computer interface. However, compared with non-implantable brain-computer interface, implantable brain-computer interface has greater potential in realizing real-time and accurate brain-computer interaction and clinical applications.

When talking about how the brain-computer interface system works, Li Xiaojian said that first, the neural signals of the motor cortex of the human brain are converted into digital signals that can be processed by the computer; then, the movement intention is inferred through a real-time decoding algorithm; finally, the movement intention is converted into actions such as cursor movement, robotic arm grasping, wheelchair forward movement, speech generation or text writing. Furthermore, the perception information of the tactile sensor of the robotic arm can be converted into microcurrent and fed back to the sensory cortex to achieve "touch" perception.

A typical example of an invasive brain-computer interface is the Neuralink brain-computer interface strongly promoted by Musk. Although the industry's first brain-controlled robotic arm brain-computer interface with tactile sensation was born as early as 2016, and the first speech reconstruction brain-computer interface was born in 2019, Neuralink has undoubtedly "added fuel" to the technology of brain-computer interface.

In addition, the American Implantable Brain-Computer Interface Alliance has been established under the leadership of the FDA. Therefore, we have to admit that foreign countries are more advanced in the field of invasive brain-computer interfaces.

The signal source selections of advanced foreign companies vary, including brain damage, accuracy, etc., and different solutions are formed according to different application scenarios.

Weiling Technology's product matrix relies on fully implantable brain-computer interface technology. Weiling has built a complete product ecosystem in the serious medical field.

Specifically, it has breakthrough technologies in three aspects: in terms of electrodes, the sensing electrode μECoG electrode - Cortex-0 is a safe and efficient implant solution; in terms of chips, Weiling Technology has also developed its own fully implantable dedicated brain-computer chip, which perfectly supports the Weiling medical brain-computer ecosystem and can be compared with international advanced products; in terms of acquisition systems, the cross-scale and full-band brain nerve signal acquisition equipment is quasi-medical grade, portable and self-powered, and is the only thousand-channel collector in China recognized by the top international journals in brain science.

In the clinical aspect, the product matrix has been applied to continuous monitoring of brain signals after surgery and continuous monitoring of brain signals after surgery. However, the team has mastered the full chain technology of fully implantable brain-computer interface, but it will take 5 to 7 years before clinical application. Research progress depends on a deep understanding of brain diseases.

Weiling Medical was founded in 2019 and focuses on the research and development of medical-grade fully implantable brain-computer interface systems. The company originated from the in-depth research of brain science and implantable brain-computer interfaces, based on the breakthrough from zero to one of the key technologies of the medical-grade brain-computer interface series, and is positioned in the research and development, application demonstration and popularization of brain-computer interface medical products. At present, Weiling Medical has established its headquarters and scientific research center in Shenzhen, a production base in Suzhou, and a clinical research center in Beijing, forming a full-scale layout covering research and development, production, and clinical research. Relying on fully implantable brain-computer interface technology, Weiling Medical has built a complete product ecosystem in the serious medical field. Weiling Medical has completed two rounds of financing of nearly 100 million yuan. Investment institutions include local governments, leading hard technology investment institutions, market-oriented funds, and medical device industry capital.

It is understood that Weiling Medical was the first in China to propose the development of an implantable brain-computer interface solution with a high-density ultra-flexible neural sensor array. By attaching it to the surface of the cerebral cortex, it avoids brain damage caused by piercing electrodes and limiting the life of the target. The electrode array uses advanced nanocomposite enhancement technology, which significantly improves safety and long-term stability, and the recorded neural signals have higher spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio.