Utah scientists develop microelectrode grids to turn blain signals into speech

The only way a patient with “locked in” syndrome and Lou Gehrig’s disease can communicate with the world around is through blinking codes, but that may be set to change with the attachment of microelectrode grids to the surface of the patient’s brain, which would let the user talk again. Made from platinum wires and silicone, a grid of 16 microelectrodes is less than a centimeter in diameter, which from the volunteer’s brain is connected to a computer where the words thought (as brain signals) are matched to speech.

brain zoom

Developed by researchers at the University of Utah, the brain signals decoded with the microelectrodes linked to a speech synthesizer would turn the signals into spoken words. Though there are smaller alternatives than the microelectrode grid, but still we think this ability to turn brain signals into speech would a great boon for the patients who cannot communicate.

Via: DiscoveryNews