How Brain-Computer Interfaces Are Mapping the Future of Neurotechnology
In this episode of MedDevice by Design, we explore the world of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and the challenges of capturing thought into action. Mark Drlik and Ariana Wilson walk through how these systems translate brain activity into control signals for devices—without needing surgical implants.
What Is a Brain-Computer Interface?
A brain-computer interface captures electrical signals in the brain and maps them to physical or digital actions. Many BCIs use EEG (electroencephalography) to read brain activity from outside the skull and convert patterns into commands. These signals are then interpreted in real time to drive assistive technologies or interact with digital systems.
Key Technical and Ethical Challenges
One challenge is signal noise—especially for non-invasive EEG systems that must read through the skull. Another is user variability, since everyone’s brain activity is slightly different. Ethical concerns around data privacy are significant, as BCIs collect sensitive neurological data. Processing speed is also an issue: the brain fires up to 100 million action potentials per second, at speeds reaching 120 meters per second.
How BCIs Are Being Used
Current BCI applications include neurorehabilitation for people with paralysis or ALS, and emerging uses in gaming and virtual reality. Companies like Neuralink are exploring implanted interfaces, while open-source projects like OpenBCI and institutions like MIT and Stanford lead the research front.
Enjoying MedDevice by Design? Sign up to get new episodes sent to your inbox.
Related Resources
In MedTech, success rarely comes from invention alone. Plenty of promising technologies make it through verification and early clinical work, only to stall when the team tries to turn them into something buildable.
From how much of your body is actually bacterial to how fast microbes can multiply, these facts are designed to stick with you long after the party ends.
In medical device development, verification is both a safeguard and a stress test, not just for the product, but for the process.
In the world of medical device development, requirements are often treated as a regulatory tax, essentially documentation created solely to satisfy a compliance need.