A paralyzed man who came from Australia has tweeted the first-ever post made possible through his thoughts. The first "direct-thought tweet" was created thanks to the paperclip-sized brain chip.
Paralyzed Man Tweets First 'Direct-Thought' Post
According to a report from the Independent on Monday, Dec. 27, the 62-year-old ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) patient has written the first tweet using only his brain through Synchron's brain-computer interface.
The startup which focuses on neurotechnology helped Philip O'Keefe to create the tweet. According to the company CEO Thomas Oxley, there's no need anymore for voices or keystrokes since a person can post a tweet just by using thought.
no need for keystrokes or voices. I created this tweet just by thinking it. #helloworldbci
— Thomas Oxley (@tomoxl) December 23, 2021
Related Article: Speech Neuroprosthetic: Brain Wave Technology Helps Paralyzed Man to Speak--How?
Brain Chip Implant in Paralyzed Man
In April 2020, Synchron began implanting the Stentrode device to O'Keefe after his condition worsened. At that time, he could not do even simple tasks without assistance from someone.
To avoid the need for brain surgery, the brain chip was inserted into the jugular vein. Since then, the patient was able to communicate with his loved ones. He could also play computer games such as "Solitaire."
"When I first heard about this technology, I knew how much independence it could give back to me," Mr. O'Keefe said in a press release, Daily Mail reported.
O'Keefe added that the system can be compared to learning to ride a bike. It would take a lot of practice before a person gets used to it. Once you master how it works, the Australian said that it would become natural in the long run.
The implanting procedure of the brain chip was not an easy task. It took four (4) hours to insert into the patient's brain. After that, he could now interpret messages on a computer.
Per Oxley, Synchron considers the "fun holiday tweets" as an important moment in the field of brain implant computer interface.
According to the startup, the first in-human research will happen in 2022 in the United States.
Paralyzed Man Can Write Once Again
Back in May, Tech Times reported another case of a paralyzed man who has been given some hopes to write texts once again. According to the report, the immobilized patient managed to type 90 characters per minute using the text-to-thought method.
The process works by translating the brain signals into texts through thought processing. With that, the paralyzed man was able to write 16 words every minute which the experts considered as a huge feat for someone who cannot fully move a part of his body.
Before the test became successful for humans, the scientists first experimented with it with monkeys. In 2017, a group of researchers saw that it was effective for the said animals.
In another health news report, Tech Times wrote that Apple stores in New York City have temporarily shut down amid the COVID-19 spike.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry
