The Future is Now: China’s NEO BCI System is Bridging the Gap between Imagination and Reality

January 8, 2025

From Paralysis to Possibility: Groundbreaking Clinical Trials Revitalizing Hope in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

A simple “I’m thirsty” gesture, like pouring a glass of water or grasping for something, is a challenge for those with disabilities and almost impossible for paralyzed persons! Yet, thanks to NEO (Neural Electronic Opportunity), this is now possible!

As of today, three paraplegic patients from China have successfully received the NEO brain-machine (computer) interface (BMI/BCI) implant. One patient who had the first implant a year ago has shared his incredible story of finally being able to pour himself a glass of water for his wife who takes care of him for 14 years.

On October 24, 2023, Professor Guoguang ZHAO, Professor Yongzhi SHAN and the team at Beijing Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University performed the world’s first clinical implantation of NEO on a 54-year-old man who had been paralysed from the neck down due to a car accident in 2009. The patient had suffered a complete loss of motor and sensory function below the injury site, with an ASIA score of A. Under Professor ZHAO and Professor SHAN’s leadership, the implantation surgery was extremely successful. Just hours after the operation, the team was able to collect clear neural signals from the patient’s motor cortex area of the brain. Ten days post-surgery, the patient was discharged and returned home to continue using the NEO system for rehabilitation training. Three months later, the patient was able to control a pneumatically-powered glove with his own brain activity, demonstrating independent grasping ability.

On December 19, 2023, a 35-year-old male patient, completely paralyzed from the neck down due to high-level spinal cord injury, received NEO implantation at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University. Two months of rehabilitation training allowed him to grasp objects using pneumatic gloves controlled by his thoughts and move a computer screen cursor solely by thinking about it.A patient paralyzed for 4 years, unable to grasp objects autonomously or stand, received NEO implantation on November 2024, at Shanghai Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University. Post-surgery, clear neural signals were collected from the brain’s sensory motor area using advanced “somatosensory evoked potentials plus online high-frequency signal analysis” technology, enabling a short time of surgery of 1 hour and 40 minutes. The patient could get out of bed and use a wheelchair just three days after the operation.

The safety and effectiveness demonstrated by NEO in these clinical trials have sparked endless possibilities for its broader clinical applications. On December 17, 2024, it was selected by Nature magazine as one of the important scientific events to watch in 2025, bringing new hope to the rehabilitation of patients with conditions like high-level spinal cord injury and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The Science and Development Behind NEO: A Story of Innovation and Collaboration

NEO, a groundbreaking BCI/BMI, was conceived by years of research and technological development led by Tsinghua University’s School of Medicine, specifically Professor Bo HONG and his team, who initiated related projects in 2013. Drawing from over two decades of BCI research by Tsinghua University, starting from the 1990s, NEO built upon Tsinghua’s “steady-state visual evoked potential” system, one of three main approaches to BCI development.

NEO is a wireless “semi-implantable” BCI device that blends the advantages of implantable and non-implantable systems. It uses a minimally invasive approach, locating the motor cortex with magnetic resonance technology, then placing an electrode in the space between the skull and brain cortex. The internal device processes brain signals and communicates with the external headband-like device, which receives and transmits signals while serving as a power source via near-field wireless charging.

NEO boasts compact components, requiring only two coin-sized pieces for implantation. Its design necessitates advanced surgical equipment, including intraoperative navigation systems and microelectrode recording systems, ensuring precise placement and safety during the procedure. The use of near-field wireless charging eliminates the need for batteries.

NEO’s success was made possible by the collaboration between top-tier hospitals in China’s neurosurgery field, such as Beijing Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, and Shanghai Huashan Hospital. The availability of high-quality clinical resources provided crucial support for the success of NEO’s clinical trials.

From Research to Commercialisation: China’s BCI/BMI Industry on the Rise

The BCI/BMI industry has made significant progress in China, with government-funded research and regional governments’ encouragement fueling innovation achievements. The “Made in China 2030” plan officially recognized brain science and related studies as a major project in 2020, and China launched a major project for brain science and related studies in 2021.

Chinese BCI/BMI companies are increasingly focused on industrialization and marketization. Neuracle Technology (Changzhou) Co., Ltd., a startup incubated by Tsinghua University, has led the charge with its NEO BCI devices. The company has secured a Series D funding round in 2024 to further develop its products and expand its market reach, planning to conduct 30-50 multicenter clinical trials on its NEO BCI devices in 2025.

Other notable companies include NeuroXess and We-Linking, which have begun clinical trials with implantable BCI/BMI products. BrainCo‘s non-invasive BMI product, BrainRobotics Hand has been dominated in the list of the Best Innovations 2019 by Time Magazine. BrainRobotics Hand received FDA clearance in 2022, and BrainCo is the first unicorn company in China’s BCI field.

With national policy support, capital investment, university talent, and medical institutions’ participation, it’s exciting to think about the growth trajectory of startups newly entering the Chinese BCIBMI industry. As NEO’s clinical trials and NMPA application set a precedent for future developments, we can expect significant breakthroughs in the industry.

As China’s BCI/BMI industry continues to mature, it will be essential for policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to collaborate on developing standardised regulatory frameworks, public-private partnerships, and accessible healthcare infrastructure to ensure that these innovative technologies reach patients in need.