Synchron, a Brooklyn-based startup developing brain-computer interface technology, has halted clinical trials of its second-generation device. The wireless system was designed to allow users to control digital devices through brain activity by threading a catheter through veins to position a stent near the motor cortex.
Company leadership stated that the pause was not related to safety issues. Instead, CEO Tom Oxley attributed the delay to component supply challenges, noting that the complex system contains hundreds of components and that delays in any single part can slow progression toward FDA submission. Oxley made these comments during a conference panel discussion in New York City.
The pause represents the first significant setback for Synchron, which has positioned itself as one of the leading companies in the expanding brain implant industry. The sector focuses on helping individuals with disabilities such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and paralysis regain independence and improve their quality of life through implanted technologies.
In addition to pausing trials, Synchron is eliminating jobs in New York City and working to develop a new device. The company competes with other firms in the space, including Neuralink and Precision Neuroscience, both of which were represented at the same conference panel where Oxley discussed the component delays.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI