Neuroprosthetics and the science of patient input

Safe and effective neuroprosthetic systems are of great interest to both DARPA and CDRH, due to their innovative nature and their potential to aid severely disabled populations. By expanding what is possible in human-device interaction, these devices introduce new potential benefits and risks. Therefore patient input, which is increasingly important in weighing benefits and risks, is particularly relevant for this class of devices. FDA has been a significant contributor to an ongoing stakeholder conversation about the inclusion of the patient voice, working collaboratively to create a new framework for a patient-centered approach to medical device development. This framework is evolving through open dialogue with researcher and patient communities, investment in the science of patient input, and policymaking that is responsive to patient-centered data throughout the total product life cycle. In this commentary, we will discuss recent developments in patient-centered benefit-risk assessment and their relevance to the development of neural prosthetic systems.