Helius Medical Technologies is muscling in on the promising brain computer interface (BCI) field with the launch of a new business focused on developing the tech.
The business, called Revelation Neuro, will be a wholly owned private subsidiary focused on developing non-implantable versions of BCIs.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Shares in the Nasdaq-listed company opened unchanged following the announcement.
Helius Medical develops its own portable neuromodulation stimulator platform to help with movement and balance. The US company stated it will combine newly developed intellectual property (IP) with existing technology – the latter will be licensed to Revelation Neuro.
While it has amassed over $70m in funding to date, Helius does not plan to pump additional capital into the subsidiary, instead opting to rely on financing through third-party sources.
BCIs are chips implanted in brain tissue that take brain signals and translate them into commands. The measured signals, which can be described as ‘thoughts’, are relayed to a secondary, external device which then carries out a specific function.
Through Revelation Neuro, Helius is opting to go down the non-implantable route. Whilst it did not reveal specifics of its planned BCI technology, a clue can be found in Helius’ neuromodulation platform that uses the stimulation on the tongue to elicit brain activity. This method of modulation is known as translingual stimulation and does not require implantation.
Helius’ CEO Dane Andreeff said: “We believe Revelation Neuro’s BCI technology will be a unique and less invasive therapeutic option.”
Revelation Neuro will also apply artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise response to the translingual stimulation, using datasets from Helius’ experience in the movement dysfunction field. The algorithms will enable a precise and personalised approach to motor function rehabilitation.
“BCI-enabled improvement in functional rehabilitation is the initial focus of Revelation Neuro’s efforts, with the potential in the future to address neurological conditions including cognitive deficit, mood and behaviour disorders,” Andreeff added.
The BCI landscape has received plenty of public attention, primarily in part due to Elon Musk-owned Neuralink. The company has implanted two paralysed patients with its chips, helping them play video games and chess, amongst other activities. Other companies like Synchron, BrainGate, and Clinatec, are more advanced in their clinical journey but it is hard to predict when the first BCIs will reach market, although some experts reckon approvals will be seen within the decade.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already singled BCIs out due to their unique nature, issuing guidance in 2021 on their research and development. The agency shared its thoughts on a range of topics to help guide companies that are clinically testing devices but has so far remained tight-lipped on regulatory stipulates.
