By Hayden Field | Emerging Tech Brew
Six weeks ago, on July 6, Peter Yoo prepared for a sleepless night.
He was in rural Victoria, Australia, but his mind was halfway across the world, awaiting the results of the first human implant of a brain-computer interface ever performed in the US.
As senior director of neuroscience and algorithms at Synchron, the Brooklyn-based tech startup behind the medical milestone, Yoo had seen four BCI devices successfully implanted in Australian patients with severe paralysis. The patients gained the ability to control digital devices via brain signals—i.e., texting loved ones, checking on their finances, and shopping online—and had no reported serious adverse effects after 12 months. Now, the FDA has approved a clinical trial in the US, with the first implantation in New York, led by Mount Sinai Hospital.
From 11pm to 4am local time, Yoo’s two golden retrievers kept him company. He stayed on a Zoom call with other members of his team, receiving updates via text. Finally, he got the news he’d been waiting for: The implantation had been successful.
