New Brain Implant Method Could Take Just 10 Minutes, Chinese Company Claims

A Chinese company has claimed to have developed a new method for implanting a device in the brain without the need to open the skull.

Shanghai-based Stemed Technology says the new procedure could allow a brain implant to be placed in around 10 minutes.

According to the company, the device would be inserted through a vein in the neck and guided through the blood vessels until it reaches the brain.

Company co-founder Zhao Zhengtu said the device would not be placed directly inside brain tissue. Instead, it would be attached to the outer wall of a blood vessel.

Dr. Duan Wanru, who is associated with Xinhua Hospital, said a surgeon with moderate experience could potentially complete the procedure in around 10 minutes.

By comparison, some existing brain implant procedures require the skull to be opened and can take around two hours to place electrical devices.

According to reports, Stemed Technology has raised more than 1.1 billion yuan, or around $163 million, from investors over the past year. The funding reportedly includes investments from major Chinese technology companies.

However, the technology is still in the experimental stage. The device is currently being tested on sheep, and clinical trials involving humans have not yet begun.

This means the company’s claim that the procedure could be completed in 10 minutes has not yet been proven in human medical trials.

Other companies around the world are also developing technologies that use blood vessels to deliver devices to the brain.

One such device developed by another company has already been tested in patients in the United States and Australia. However, that device remains inside the blood vessel to collect brain signals, while Stemed’s device is being designed to sit on the outside wall of the vessel.

Experts say that if brain implant procedures become faster, safer and less invasive, the technology could become easier for hospitals to adopt in the future.

The global market for implanted devices that connect the brain with computers is also expected to grow as research and development in the field continues.