Implantable Neural Interface Undergoes First Real-World Surgical Validation

ABILITY Neurotech has initiated first-in-human evaluation of its fully implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) at the Department of Neurosurgery, Technical University of Munich (TUM) University Hospital Rechts der Isar. The intraoperative study marks the first real-world validation of the platform’s neural signal acquisition in a live surgical setting. 

Up to five individuals undergoing brain tumor surgery will participate, with 20–30 minutes of intraoperative recording per patient. Initial cases completed end-to-end system validation and signal capture while patients were under general anesthesia. The next phase will assess neural decoding under similar conditions in conscious participants performing speech and motor tasks.

The platform is designed to capture raw, high‑resolution brain signals and to transmit massive amounts of lossless data at bandwidths significantly higher than standard Bluetooth‑based approaches. Its minimally invasive, patient‑centric architecture is engineered for long‑term implantation while maintaining high‑fidelity signal quality. A data‑first design enables continuous streaming that preserves the full content of neural recordings in a fully implantable optical brain‑computer interface.

Conducted at one of Europe’s leading neurosurgery departments, the project marks the company’s formal entry into the clinical stage. The initial dataset generated from these procedures establishes human validation of signal acquisition for the platform. The company indicates this early feasibility work will be followed by its first long‑term implantation study.

“This procedure, recording neural data from humans for the first time, is a key milestone for ABILITY and our mission to enable safe and ethical long-term BCI implantations. The real-world validation of our signal acquisition system to capture high-quality neural data in patients brings us another step closer to restoring communication, movement and autonomy for those living with paralysis and speech loss,” said Rotem Kopel, PhD, CEO of ABILITY Neurotech.

“This research allows us to capture known neural phenomena, including evoked potentials and high-gamma activity, and benchmark ABILITY's signal quality against established clinical electrophysiology systems. Establishing this scientific basis is what will allow brain-computer interface technology to mature responsibly from research into a reliable clinical tool,” said Simon Jacob, MD, Professor of Translational Neurotechnology at the Department of Neurosurgery of TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar.

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ABILITY Neurotech
TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar