A patient with ALS in the United States is the first person in the world to use Amazon Alexa via an implantable brain computer interface to interact with and control his environment.
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Synchron, the brain-computer interface (BCI) company, today announced the first use of Amazon’s Alexa by one of the patients implanted with the Synchron brain computer interface.
Mark, a 64-year old man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), successfully used his direct thoughts to control his smart home via the Tap to Alexa feature on his Amazon Fire tablet. This capability allows Mark to utilize the Synchron brain computer interface to select customized tiles that perform pre-set Alexa actions, like turning on and off lights, making video calls, playing music and shows, controlling smart home devices, reading books on Kindle or purchasing items on Amazon—entirely hands and voice-free.
“The integration with smart technology and my BCI is something I’m really excited about. It’s hard to imagine living in our modern world without the ability to access or control connected devices like Amazon’s Alexa and Echo products that are so prevalent in my daily life,” said Mark, a trial participant living with ALS who is using Synchron’s BCI platform. “To be able to manage important aspects of my environment and control access to entertainment gives me back the independence that I’m losing.”
The integration of Synchron’s BCI technology with Alexa’s capabilities could allow users to control their environment both inside and outside their home, making every day routines more accessible and enhancing independence for those with severe paralysis. By trialing this integration with Alexa, Synchron aims to expand the possibilities for smart home automation, enabling patients to use their thoughts to interact with a wide range of Alexa-compatible devices, from lights and plugs to thermostats and cameras, without the need for voice or physical interaction with a touch-screen. The BCI system is designed to be simple to use and easy to learn. This integration reflects Synchron’s commitment to patient-first innovation in neurotechnology.
“Synchron’s BCI is bridging the gap between neurotechnology and consumer tech, making it possible for people with paralysis to regain control of their environment. While many smart home systems rely on voice or touch, we are sending control signals directly from the brain, bypassing the need for these inputs,” said Tom Oxley, CEO & Founder, Synchron. “We’re thrilled to utilize our BCI to access Alexa capabilities, so patients can interact with devices in their home hands and voice-free, using only their thoughts, to address a critical unmet need for millions of people with mobility and voice impairment.”
The Synchron BCI is implanted in the blood vessel on the surface of the motor cortex of the brain via the jugular vein, through a minimally-invasive endovascular procedure. Once implanted, it is designed to detect and wirelessly transmit motor intent out of the brain, intended to restore the capability for severely paralyzed people to control personal devices with hands-free point-and-click.
For more information about the Synchron BCI and our registry, visit https://synchronbci.com.
About Synchron
Synchron is a neurotechnology company developing an endovascular brain-computer interface (BCI) designed to restore functionality in people with severe paralysis. The clinical-stage company is developing a neuroprosthesis to restore motor signaling to control digital devices and autonomy for individuals with motor impairment. Synchron is headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit www.synchron.com. Follow us @synchroninc.
