A collaborative team at Duke University has developed a speech prosthetic that translates brain signals into spoken words. The technology holds promise for individuals with neurological disorders, such as ALS or locked-in syndrome, who struggle to communicate verbally.
How does it work?
Current communication tools for such patients are slow and cumbersome, with a decoding rate of about 78 words per minute, compared to natural speech at 150 words per minute. The new prosthetic addresses this limitation by utilizing 256 microscopic brain sensors on a postage stamp-sized, flexible plastic implant.
During tests on patients undergoing brain surgery, the device demonstrated an impressive 40% accuracy in predicting spoken sounds based on brain activity recordings.
Future work:
The team aims to develop a cordless version of the device, allowing greater mobility for users, with recent funding support from the National Institutes of Health.
How do you think this mind-reading technology could transform the lives of individuals with speech-related neurological disorders, and what ethical considerations do you foresee in its widespread adoption?
Read more at: Brain implant may enable communication from thoughts alone | ScienceDaily