Mount Sinai teams led by Joshua Bederson, MD, and Benjamin Rapoport, MD, PhD, are pushing the boundaries of how much data we can "read" from the brain. Together they are developing next-generation intracortical microelectrodes, or tiny sensors that provide high-bandwidth recordings of individual neurons. This precision development allows users to switch fluidly between complex tasks, such as controlling digital cursors and robotic limbs, navigating drones, and translating thoughts into synthesized speech.

In collaboration with industry partners such as Precision Neuroscience, the researchers are also utilizing high-density thin-film arrays (µECoG). These ultra-thin sensors sit on the surface of the brain like digital "skin," providing high-resolution data across large areas without the need to penetrate brain tissue. This technology is allowing the investigators to decode fine-motor intentions—such as individual finger movements—with minimal physical disruption.

From the Operating Room to the Living Room

One major hurdle for brain computer interfaces (BCIs) has been that the technology requires invasive brain surgery. Mount Sinai is overcoming this hurdle through a landmark partnership with Synchron, which utilizes endovascular BCIs. Rather than a traditional craniotomy, this system is implanted through blood vessels, like a heart stent. This less invasive approach has already enabled patients with severe paralysis to use BCI technology in their own homes for daily communication.