Brain implant successfully tested on patient in China

A patient in China who lost all four limbs in a car accident 13 years ago has received a brain implant developed in Shanghai, according to Global Times.

Just weeks after the procedure, he began controlling electronic devices with his mind. The implant even allowed him to play racing games using only his thoughts.

This marks China’s first successful case of a wireless invasive BCI (brain–computer interface) system for a patient with quadriplegia.

"Now I can control the computer with my thoughts. It feels like I can move at will," the patient said.

The team plans to train him to control a robotic arm, enabling him to perform everyday tasks.
The implant is currently the smallest of its kind in the world — just 26 mm in diameter and under 6 mm thick.
It’s said to be 100 times more flexible than Neuralink’s equivalent, making it far less likely to be rejected by brain tissue or cause damage.

The chip was implanted in March this year during clinical trials of a wireless invasive BCI system led by the CEBSIT research center under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Fudan University.

Since then, the implant has functioned reliably with no infections or electrode failures reported.

CEBSIT says the procedure marks China as the second country in the world — after the U.S. — to reach this level of clinical testing with BCI technology. If trials continue to succeed and regulatory approvals are granted, the implant could reach the market by 2028.

For context, Elon Musk’s Neuralink reported implanting its chip into a third patient earlier this year. Gabe Newell’s startup is also working on a brain implant, which will reportedly be capable of both recording and stimulating brain activity.