"For many decades, the idea that we could control computers with little more than our thoughts has been the stuff of science fiction and the dream of many scientists. Neural Signals is fortunate to be the historic first to allow a locked-in man -- who is alert and intelligent but unable to move or speak -- the ability to control a computer directly with neural signals."
Dr. Philip R. Kennedy
MD, Ph.D
NSI Timeline:
New Implant planned in Belize:
(8/2023) Diseases such as ALS and brainstem stroke can lead to someone being locked-in, unable to move or speak. Neural Signals Inc. is planning to implant a locked-in participant who needs their speech restored due to one of these conditions. This will be the seventh participant in this research which will hopefully lead to an FDA approved product available in the United States and all over the world to anyone that needs it in the future. The procedure requires a surgical implantation of several Neurotrophic Electrodes – the same electrodes that have been proved safe in peer-reviewed research papers since the 1990s. The firings of the brain’s neural signals measured by these electrodes will be analyzed by real-time software which will directly produce the intended speech through a cell phone app. There will be a period of several months to allow the brain to grow into the electrode tip and more time is required to train the app’s machine learning after the implantation. No success is guaranteed, but there is a strong proof-of-principle already from the previous work and so we know it is possible. Critically – we will work with you as long as needed and monitor your progress over years. There is no cost to the participant as this work is supported by non-profit organizations and Neural Signals Inc. as a private corporation.
Neural Signals Inc. is in process of seeking permission to implant in Belize. The company does not yet have FDA permission to implant in the USA, but anyone can come to Belize for the implantation.
For those interested in participating in research and gaining speech capabilities, but who for any reason are not currently interested in an implant for complete speech production, we recommend you contact the Neural Signals software partner Arctop at contact@arctop.com to try the company’s non-implanted solution which involves a consumer wearable and app. While full speech restoration is likely not possible from technology that is not implanted, Arctop’s system may be able to partially restore speech and in other ways support your independence and daily life quality. We strongly recommend you try some non-implantable system to help you better decide whether or not to have the electrode implanted.
2023: Please check out the latest development updates at Neural Signals here!: Update 2023 Final Presentation
2020: Neural signals Inc releases a book that will accompany a documentary. A member of the Society for Neuroscience can get a 40% discount by insert the code SFN40 on the Nova Publishing web site. Click here to learn more!
2019: Neural signals Inc is happy to announce that silent speech can be detected. This is true for phrases, words and phonemes. Data added to the website today demonstrate that audible speech and silent speech can be detected with no significant difference between them, that is, it is just as easy to detect silent speech as audible speech. And, importantly, both audible and silent speech are significantly different from a control period where the subject sat quietly without saying anything.
The analysis was performed using deep learning apps from Matlab. Specifically, the Classification app and the Fitting apps were utilized. For example, when classifying 20 words, each was different from the other, with one exception with words skate and scale. This is explained in the paper newly attached. The same is true for phrases.
This is good news for those people who are locked-in, that is people who are mute and paralyzed, but who retain a functioning motor speech cortex. Such conditions such as ALS and brainstem stroke are two examples.
2015: Implant removed for safety. All electrodes and electronic devices were removed for his safety in January since the incision was slow to close due to the bulk of the devices. The data is being analyzed. The results were presented at the SFN meeting in 2014 and further results will be presented at SFN in 2015. Phonemes are associated with specific patterns of single unit firings, and reverse engineering is underway to reproduce the phoneme audibly.
2014: Implant Dr. Kennedy’s speech motor area On June 21 2014, four electrodes were implanted in his speech motor area located just lateral to the Sylvian fissure. In October 2014 three electronic devices were implanted to carry the signals transcutaneously to a receiver and computer for analysis.
2013: Successful Implant: We replaced ER’s electronics on May 4th 2013 in Belize City, Belize. We are now recording successfully from 21 single units and using LFPs also. Our efforts are directed towards restoring speech. The specific aim on ER is to allow him to produce a few useful short words. Units are undergoing conditioning at the moment and results will be presented at the SFN meeting on Saturday afternoon, 9th November 2013. Also see www.neuralsignalsdonate.com for more details on the story of ER.
2013: Lectures at Oxford University, University of New Castle, England, and Tyndall Institute, Ireland, in February.
2012 : Society for Neuroscience, three posters due October 13th to 17th.
2012 : Lecture at Oxford University England on the Speech Prosthesis, due September 21st.
2012 : Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Panel Member presentation, San Diego, August 30th.
2012 : Neural Prosthesis Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, June
2011: Society for Neuroscience, two poster presentations, Sunday and Wednesday. November 12th to 16th.
2010 : A new Power Point presentation named “NSI – Speech Study”, narrated by Dr. Kennedy is now available for download. To obtain download instructions, please email Info@NeuralSignals.com.
2009: Speech Prosthesis work by Neural Signals and Frank Guenther featured in articles in Scientific American Mind, Esquire, and Discover magazines during September 2008.
2008: Online production of speech with audio feedback to the subject was achieved on Feb 14, 2008. Video and report linked at Boston University lab website here. See references underResearch Tab
2007: Feedback of speech to the subject has been achieved offline using simple phonemes with the help of our collaborators from Boston University, Prof. Frank Guenther and Jonathan Brumberg. November 2007. CNN highlights this work, report and video linked here.
2007: Speech Restoration work by Neural Signals to be featured in the PBS documentary 22nd Century, on January 17, 2007.
2006: Speech Restoration Project featured in the BBC documentary Horizon, Oct 24, 2006 on BBC Two.
2005: Featured in Neurotech Business Report July 2005.
2004: World’s first implant for speech restoration Dec. 2004.