China leads the world in invasive BCI products

China’s brain-computer interface (BCI) industry reached a global milestone this month as the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved the world’s first commercially available invasive BCI medical device. Developed by Neuracle Medical Technology and Tsinghua University, the implantable system is specifically designed to restore hand functions in patients with tetraplegia. By embedding electrodes between the skull and the dura mater, the device decodes neural signals to control a pneumatic glove, allowing patients to regain basic movements through a minimally invasive procedure that typically allows them to return home within a month.

The approval has sparked a rapid industrial and policy response, with the National Healthcare Security Administration completing medical insurance coding for the device just one week after its authorization. This move is part of a broader national strategy that identifies BCI as a priority industry in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. While U.S. competitors like Neuralink continue human trials without full commercial clearance, China is scaling up its domestic ecosystem, including the launch of a “super factory” by NeuroXess and significant strategic investments from tech giants like Tencent and Alibaba.

With the domestic BCI market projected to surpass 120 billion yuan by 2040, experts suggest China has officially entered the “first tier” of global neural technology. The focus has now shifted from laboratory research to large-scale industrialization, as the gap in key components for invasive systems narrows and non-invasive technologies reach international parity. The success of this rollout is expected to define the next phase of global BCI development, moving neural implants from controlled clinical trials into everyday assisted living.

Credit : CGTN