Chronically Stable, High-Resolution Micro-Electrocorticographic Brain-Computer Interfaces for Real-Time Motor...

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) enable communication between individuals and computers or other assistive devices by decoding brain activity, thereby reconstructing speech and motor functions for patients with neurological disorders. This study presents a high-resolution micro-electrocorticography (µECoG) BCI based on a flexible, high-density µECoG electrode array, capable of chronically stable and real-time motor decoding. Leveraging micro-nano manufacturing technology, the µECoG BCI achieves a 64-fold increase in electrode density compared to conventional clinical electrode arrays, enhancing spatial resolution while featuring scalability. Over a 203-day in vivo experiment, high-resolution µECoG carrying fine spatial specificity information demonstrated the potential to improve decoding performance while reduce implanted devices size. These advancements provide a pathway to overcome the limitations of conventional ECoG BCIs. During awake surgery, the µECoG BCI enabled game control after 7 min of model training. Furthermore, during practice of 19.87 h, the participant achieved cursor control with a bit rate of 1.13 bits per second (BPS) under full volitional control, and the bit rate reached up to 4.15 BPS with enhanced user interface. These results show that the µECoG BCI achieves comparable performance to intracortical electroencephalographic (iEEG) BCIs without intracortical invasiveness, marking a breakthrough in the clinical feasibility of flexible BCIs.