In a major leap for medical technology, a Chinese-led research team has completed the world’s first clinical trial using a brain-computer interface (BCI) to precisely map the boundaries of deep-seated brain tumors. The trial, conducted by the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the First Affiliated Hospital at Harbin Medical University, marks a pivotal moment in both neuroscience and surgical practice. According to reporting from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the team employed a new microelectrode array called NeuroDepth, which was independently developed by AIR. This device was implanted in a patient with glioma—a type of brain tumor notorious for its blurred boundaries and high recurrence rates. Before the surgery, the patient suffered from frequent language confusion due to the tumor’s compression on critical brain regions. Following the procedure, the patient’s speech became clear and fluent, dramatically improving their quality of life.
What sets the NeuroDepth system apart from earlier neural electrodes is its ability to capture signals not only from the brain’s surface, or cortex, but also from subcortical and deep brain structures. “It has broken through the limitation of traditional neural electrodes, which could only detect signals from cortical based tumors. Our electrodes can capture neural signals across the entire brain—from the cortex to subcortical regions and even deep brain structures. They are capable of not only detecting neuro-electrophysiological signals but also monitoring neurotransmitter signals, providing more precise information,” said Wang Mixia, an associate researcher at AIR, as quoted by Chinese Academy of Sciences.
This breakthrough isn’t just a technical feat—it’s a potential lifeline for countless patients. Gliomas and brain metastases are among the most challenging brain tumors to treat, with high rates of mortality and recurrence. Their infiltrative growth patterns often blur the distinction between tumor and healthy tissue, making accurate surgical removal a daunting task. As reported by Chinese Academy of Sciences, the real-time, high-precision navigation provided by NeuroDepth could enable surgeons to remove tumors more thoroughly while sparing vital brain tissue, thus improving postoperative neurological outcomes.
The clinical trial, completed in August 2025, is the first of its kind globally, according to Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team’s success has already prompted plans to expand the technology’s applications. In collaboration with medical institutions, the researchers aim to use high-precision BCIs to help blind or deaf patients regain sensory perception. There’s also a bold initiative to develop endovascular BCIs—devices delivered through blood vessels—to restore motor functions in paralyzed individuals. “On another front, we also have a plan to integrate vascular interventional technologies to develop endovascular brain-computer interfaces. This initiative will focus on researching the recovery of motor functions in paralyzed patients,” Wang Mixia explained.
This clinical milestone comes at a time when China has signaled its broader ambition to become a world leader in BCI technology. In August 2025, the Chinese government released a sweeping policy document, jointly authored by seven departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Health Commission, charting a path for China to achieve major BCI breakthroughs by 2027 and to build a globally competitive BCI industry by 2030. The policy outlines 17 specific steps, such as creating better chips to capture brain signals, improving decoding software, standardizing BCI technology, and ramping up manufacturing capabilities. As MIT Technology Review reports, “We know that China is strong at translating basic research into practical uses and commercialization. We’ve seen that in other industries, such as photovoltaics and electric cars. Now BCI is another area where that’s going to be critical,” said Max Riesenhuber, professor of neuroscience at Georgetown University Medical Center.
China’s push into BCIs follows a global surge in interest, with US-based companies like Neuralink, Synchron, and Paradromics vying to commercialize similar technologies. While research on BCIs began in the 1970s, practical applications for patients remained elusive until recent years. Now, Chinese companies and research institutions are quickly catching up. Several have already demonstrated working BCI implants in patients, enabling people with paralysis to move computer cursors, operate robotic arms, and even type out their thoughts. In Shanghai, NeuroXess has implanted six paralyzed patients with its device, which successfully decoded Chinese speech for three of them and enabled thought control of digital devices for the others. “I think, from the government’s point of view, this policy means that BCI technology has already passed from a concept level into the product level,” said Phoenix Peng, cofounder and CEO of NeuroXess, as quoted by MIT Technology Review.
Another notable player, NeuCyber NeuroTech—a spinoff from the Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR) in Beijing—has developed a coin-sized brain chip called Beinao-1. According to Minmin Luo, director of CIBR and chief scientist at NeuCyber NeuroTech, Beinao-1 has been implanted in five patients, all of whom are paralyzed. “We have observed excellent safety and stability in our clinical assessments,” Luo told MIT Technology Review. The recipients can now move a computer cursor and navigate smartphone apps, with a sixth implantation planned by the end of August 2025. Luo estimates that at least 1 to 2 million patients in China could potentially benefit from assistive and rehabilitative BCI technologies.
China’s new policy document doesn’t stop at medical applications. It also envisions BCIs for consumer and industrial safety uses, such as monitoring driver alertness to prevent accidents or detecting hazardous conditions in workplaces. The policy promotes the mass production of non-implantable BCI devices—including headsets, earbuds, helmets, and glasses—to make the technology more accessible. “I think noninvasive BCI products will get a huge market boost in China, because China is the biggest consumer electronics manufacturing country,” Peng observed. US companies like Emotiv and Neurable have begun selling similar EEG-based consumer wearables, but these products remain expensive and have yet to gain widespread adoption.
The Chinese government’s strong support for disruptive technologies is nothing new, but its commitment to BCIs is particularly striking. Last year, the government released ethical guidelines for BCI use, and the latest policy document further accelerates the push for both research and commercialization. The document even proposes piloting BCIs in industries like mining, nuclear energy, and electricity, where real-time brain monitoring could provide early warnings for dangers such as low oxygen, poisoning, or fainting.
Despite the emerging China-US rivalry in the BCI space, some industry leaders see room for collaboration. “We can cooperate as a society to build something for the patients, because they are desperate for this technology to have a better life,” Peng said. “We don’t want to be involved in any geopolitical issues. We just want to build something useful for patients.”
With the successful NeuroDepth trial and a national strategy to foster innovation, China’s rapid progress in brain-computer interface technology is poised to reshape both medical care and daily life for millions—heralding a new era where the boundaries between mind and machine become ever more blurred.
