China Beats Neuralink to First Commercial Brain Implant
While Western tech moguls are still running endless clinical trials, Chinese surgeons quietly turned brain implants into an off-the-shelf product covered by health insurance.
Surgeons at Huashan Hospital implanted a coin-sized brain-computer interface device called NEO into a patient paralyzed in a car accident a decade ago.
Developed by local startup Neuracle Medical Technology, the tiny chip sits right on the brain's outer surface without penetrating delicate tissue, translating brainwaves straight into physical movement.
The patient is already recovering with stable vitals while recording crystal-clear epidural signals to control hand movements.
China’s National Medical Products Administration greenlit the device back in March, making it the first BCI in the world to exit clinical labs and enter commercial sales.
In just four months, the team scaled production, lined up hospital deployments, and even got local commercial medical insurance programs to cover the procedures.
The line between cyberpunk fiction and routine hospital paperwork has officially dissolved. Cybernetic upgrades are no longer a billionaire playground hype cycle, but a standard line item on an insurance bill.
Source: South China Morning Post
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