Flexible Graphene Cortical Interface Enables Real-Time Mapping During Tumor Surgery

Safe, precise functional mapping during brain tumor surgery is critical to preserving speech and movement. Conventional metal electrodes can be rigid and less sensitive, limiting their ability to conform to cortical anatomy and capture detailed activity during resection. Surgeons also need tools that integrate with standard intraoperative systems while enabling real-time decoding of eloquent cortex. A new graphene-based cortical interface now offers high‑resolution intraoperative neural signal capture and decoding evaluated during tumor resection.

INBRAIN Neuroelectronics’ graphene-based cortical interface completed patient recruitment in a first‑in‑human study assessing its performance for brain decoding and mapping during neurosurgical tumor resections. Ten patients were recruited; eight underwent surgical use with complete datasets collected in all eight and no perioperative device failures observed during use. The study (NCT06368310) is sponsored by the University of Manchester and conducted with Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

During surgery, the graphene electrodes were used alongside standard‑of‑care monitoring systems. In select awake procedures, patients performed tasks such as object naming, allowing investigators to evaluate the system’s ability to decode speech representation in the brain with high resolution. Designed as ultra‑thin, micrometric, and highly flexible, the electrodes conform to cortical surfaces and access hard‑to‑reach areas; by replacing metal contacts with graphene, they enable higher‑resolution signal detection and more precise stimulation to support real‑time decoding and mapping.

Safety is the primary study objective, with secondary objectives focused on signal quality, stability, stimulation capability, and suitability for intraoperative use with standard surgical tooling and recording equipment. A favorable perioperative safety profile was observed, with no device‑related adverse events reported in the eight patients treated up to surgical discharge. The primary endpoint includes a 90‑day postoperative safety monitoring period that incorporates imaging.

“The ability to detect high-frequency neural activity with micrometer-scale precision and also modulate it provides a fundamentally new level of insight into brain–tumor interactions and functional brain decoding and mapping. This level of resolution has the potential to significantly improve surgical precision and open new avenues for treating neurological disorders,” said Dr. David Coope, Chief Clinical Investigator and Consultant Neurosurgeon at the Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences at Northern Care Alliance and the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre.

“This study demonstrates that graphene can safely interface with the human brain, and capture neural signals with exceptional fidelity and resolution to enable precise decoding of brain and speech-related patterns metals can barely see. It marks a pivotal step towards translating a new enabling technology using neural signals into meaningful clinical applications and real-world patient benefit,” stated Dr. Kostas Kostarelos, Co‑Founder of INBRAIN Neuroelectronics and Chief Scientific Investigator of the study.

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