Company Implants Brain Chips in 50 People to Stop Depression

Blackrock Neurotech, a company based in Utah, has implanted brain chips known as NeuroPort Array into more than three dozen patients, with the ambition of curing physical paralysis, blindness, deafness, and depression.

The implantable microchip has 96 arrays and nearly 100 microneedles that attach to the brain to read electrical signals produced by the patient’s thoughts. The technology uses machine learning software to decode these signals into digital commands, such as cursor movements, which can be used to control prosthetics, computer equipment, and even wheelchairs.

Blackrock is seeking FDA approval for the MoveAgain device, the world’s first-ever brain-computer interface (BCI) designed specifically for at-home use by people with paralysis, to increase their independence and mobility and quality of life.

The company is already developing brain-computer interfaces to restore hearing and vision and believes that BCIs will become as ubiquitous for paralyzed patients as pacemakers for people with heart issues.

BCIs with indications for memory and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression are also on the horizon. The company has implanted a BCI for over 80 years combined in patients without any reports of serious adverse effects.

However, the arrays on the implant slowly break down over time, causing its signal quality to degrade after around two years, and usually requires another surgery to take it out and then replace it after five years.