Know-How Paralyzed Man Directly Tweeted His Thoughts

A brain chip implanted in 62-year-old Philip O'Keefe from Australia suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) allowed him to Tweet out his thoughts directly. The brain-computer interface that facilitated the Twitter interaction was developed by neurotech startup Synchron.

O'Keefe received the brain implant in April 2020. The device is called Stentrode and was implanted after his condition had worsened to a point where he wasn't able to undertake any independent activities.

The brain chip was inserted through the jugular vein to avoid an invasive brain procedure. Since then, he was able to interact with his close ones through e-mail and simple computer-based games like Solitaire.

It only took four hours for the implant to be used after being inserted.

O’Keefe tweeted “No need for keystrokes or voices. I created this tweet just by thinking it.” The tweet was posted to the account of Synchron CEO, Thomas Oxley.

He also expressed that the system is astonishing, and it is like learning to ride a bike. It takes practice, but once you’re rolling, it becomes natural.

Now, he is just thinking about where on the computer I want to click, and I can email, bank, shop, and now message the world via Twitter.



Source-Medindia