Cyberkinetics Inc. of Foxboro, MA, has received Food and Drug Administration approval to expand its use of brain implants to include elective surgery. "Disabled people will no longer be the only ones that can benefit from being able to control their personal computer using just their brain," said a spokeswoman.
"Early tests on para- and quadraplegics demonstrated without a doubt the potential of our devices," she said.
A small grid of electrodes is placed atop the brain and electrocorticographic (ECoG) activity is translated into computer commands such as keystrokes and mouse clicks.
"Our patients would break down in tears of joy being able to write again for the first time in years," said Cyberkinetics. "One patient, a Hollywood writer crippled three years ago in a car accident, was so impressed with his new abilities he donated his life's savings to our research department."
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