Scientists in China have recently opened the country's first clinical ward dedicated to brain-computer interfaces (BCI) at Beijing Tiantan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University.
With the establishment of this new ward, the hospital will undertake BCI research and clinical trials and promote related technological advancements.
The groundbreaking technology of BCI combines neuroscience, artificial intelligence and medicine, allowing patients to control devices using only their thoughts.
"Initially, the patient had only what we called grade-3 muscle strength, which is very weak. But since beginning BCI training, we've seen significant improvement. He can now consciously activate and control specific muscle groups. That’s the brain-computer interface doing its job," said Zhao Jizong, chief of the hospital's neurosurgical and cerebrovascular neurosurgery department.
The science behind this breakthrough is revolutionary. Every thought humans have creates electrical impulses in the brain. The BCI system acts like a translator - capturing these neural signals, decoding them through advanced algorithms, and converting them into digital commands.
This creates a direct pathway between mind and machine, allowing patients to bypass damaged nerves and control devices with pure thought.
"Right now, we're seeing promising results with movement and speech restoration, but it's important to understand these are still research experiments, and full clinical implementation will require further development and time," Zhao said.
It's not just hospitals driving innovation. Medical enterprises play a crucial role by developing BCI devices, supporting clinical trials and collaborating with hospitals to accelerate safe deployment.
"As the world’s largest manufacturer of electronic devices, China holds a strong competitive edge in medical electronics. While neural stimulators were developed earlier abroad, we’ve integrated cutting-edge electronic technologies to make our products more convenient and functional. For example, our latest neural stimulator is a breakthrough innovation—once implanted, patients no longer need extended hospitalization. Instead, they can simply use a smartphone app to periodically record and upload brainwave data to the cloud. Doctors can then analyze this real-time data and adjust treatment plans remotely," said Du Yuhui, general manager of Rishena medical devices company based in east China's Jiangsu Province.
With coordinated efforts from healthcare providers, tech developers, policymakers and industry leaders, experts believe that today's experimental technologies could soon become standard care.
China's first BCI clinical ward to drive innovation on medical treatment
