A woman uses BCI technology to type on a computer. Photo: Courtesy of Tianiin University

Shanghai-based medical technology firm StairMed released video clips on Monday demonstrating an amputee patient controlling a computer, playing chess and operating racing games using the company's invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) system following a clinical trial. The company announced plans to launch the product commercially by 2028.

The trial, registered with the Shanghai Municipal Drug Administration and conducted under regulatory requirements to obtain formal medical device licenses, positions StairMed as the world's second BCI company to enter clinical trials, following US-based Neuralink, according to a statement the company sent to the Global Times.

The patient, who lost limbs in an accident, underwent BCI implantation surgery on March 25. After two to three weeks of training, he achieved gameplay proficiency and could use a computer touchpad comparable to an average person, StairMed said in the statement.

StairMed co-founder Zhao Zhengtuo described the trial as a "critical milestone" for BCI applications, noting that even with a small sample size this time, the system achieved full product validation.

StairMed's BCI implant measures 26 millimeters in diameter and is less than 6 millimeters thick - roughly the size of a coin and half the dimensions of Neuralink's device. Its ultraflexible electrodes, 1/100 the diameter of a human hair, exhibit superior biocompatibility and mechanical properties, minimizing tissue damage and enabling stable long-term neural signal recording, according to the company. 

Co-founder Li Xue emphasized the system's surgical advantages: a 3- to 5- millimeter cranial puncture implants the sensor 5-8 millimeters deep into the brain. "This approach reduces foreign-body sensation, surgical risks and recovery time while enhancing clinical viability," Li said.

Chen Jing, vice president of the Technology and Strategy Research Institute, said that StairMed's move further demonstrated the rise of Chinese firms in the global BCI technology race. "This progress exemplifies China's cross-disciplinary collaboration across neuroscience, materials science and computer science," Chen told the Global Times.

StairMed's announcement follows another start-up NeuroXess' April 17 disclosure of a collaborative project implanting a 256-channel flexible BCI in an epilepsy patient, enabling complex video game control, indicating the rapid development pace of China's BCI technologies.

Various Chinese localities have been prioritizing BCI development as a strategic industry. On Monday, Southwest China's Sichuan Province unveiled plans to achieve breakthroughs in BCI industrial chains by 2027 and mass production by 2030. Beijing and Shanghai issued similar blueprints in January, targeting core technological advancements.

Regulatory momentum is also building. In March, the National Healthcare Security Administration introduced trial pricing guidelines for neurological services, creating a dedicated category for BCI technologies to accelerate clinical adoption, the Xinhua News Agency reported.