In a world where brain-machine interfaces are transforming the landscape of rehabilitation technologies, Neuralink often attracts attention. However, other companies, like Onward Medical NV, are also emerging with solutions to improve the lives of people with spinal cord injuries. With a partnership with the CEA and remarkable advances in restoring movement through thought, Onward is at the forefront of this technological revolution. We will soon have the opportunity to interview Grégoire Courtine, neuroscientist and co-founder of Neuralink’s competitor, Onward Medical, and CEA leaders to discuss their projects and innovations that could change patients’ lives.
In the field of brain implants, systems capable of connecting the human brain to machines, Neuralink is the company that is most often talked about due to the fact that it was co-founded by Elon MuskElon Musk in 2016. It should also be noted that it stands out for its expertise in the development of brain-interfaces.computercomputer (BCI) and that she recently placed a brain implant in a patient with some success, because he can now control his computer by thought.
These interfaces aim to improve cognitive abilities, treat neurological diseases and enable direct communication between the brain and electronic devices. This opens up prospects in various fields, such as medicine, education and evenartificial intelligenceartificial intelligence.
Remarkable advances in brain-machine interfaces
However, other companies emergingemerging also in this sector. Among them, Onward Medical NV, a Dutch medical technology company, focuses on developing therapies to help people with spinal cord injuries. This company recently established a partnership with the CEA (Commissariat forenergyenergy atomic and alternative energies) in France to obtain exclusive rights to the Wimagine® brain-machine interface technology, developed by Clinatec.
This partnership is essential for Onward, as it provides access to advanced technology for its applicationsapplications. Indeed, you should know that Climatec contributed to two world firsts. In 2019, a patient quadriplegicquadriplegic was able to use his brain activity to control a four-limbed exoskeleton and, in 2023, a paraplegic patient managed to regain natural control of his gait thanks to the coupling of Wimagine technology® with therapy stimulationstimulation of the spinal cord, the ARC-IM therapy currently being developed by Onward Medical.
A new neuroprosthesis allows Thibault, a 28-year-old quadriplegic patient suffering from a spinal cord injury, equipped with an exoskeleton, to move. © Clinatec Endowment Fund
Ambitious goals
The Wimagine interface is integrated into an experimental system known as ARC-BCI. The objective of this system is to restore the movementsmovements and bodily functions through thought control, especially in people with paralysis. This represents a significant advance in the treatment of the consequences of spinal cord injuries, allowing patients to regain a certain degree of mobility and independence.
“Restore movement and bodily functions through thought control, especially in people with paralysis”
The agreement between Onward Medical and the CEA implements lightlight progress made in the field of brain-machine interfaces. This strategic partnership aims to develop innovative technologies that could transform the treatment of paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries.
The initiative represents a promising advance in the biomedical field, with the ambition to offer new solutions to restore mobility andautonomyautonomy to thousands of people.
