Brain-computer interface Photo: VCG

Construction of China's first comprehensive clinical ward dedicated to brain-computer interface (BCI) technology started in North China's Tianjin Municipality in recent days,MK sports the Global Times learned from Tianjin University on Thursday. 

The clinical ward is being jointly built by the university and the Tianjin-based Huanhu hospital, with the aim of driving innovative breakthroughs in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of neurological disorders. It is expected to go into operation in October.

The specialized ward will systematically implement integrated BCI clinical solutions for critical neurological illnesses, including stroke, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, traumatic brain injury, and visual and auditory impairments, thereby providing patients with full-spectrum medical services - from disease screening and precision treatment to intelligent rehabilitation, a spokesperson of Tianjin University told the Global Times on Thursday.

The construction of the ward encompasses data sharing, technology validation and clinical application from the laboratory to the clinic front line, which is conducive to enhancing the quality and efficiency of clinical research and accelerating the translation of BCI technologies into practical healthcare solutions.

BCI technology is able to decode motor intentions from the brain and, with the help of peripheral systems, transform "thoughts" into "actions," and it thus could offer significant clinical value.

Tong Xiaoguang, president of Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, said that the hospital and Tianjin University have cooperated in trailblazing the application of multiple BCI technologies in clinical practice, especially in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of critical neurological conditions. 

Notable innovations include objective, precise and rapid diagnosis of hydrocephalus, non-invasive intracranial pressure monitoring for critically ill patients and brain-computer-body systems for motor function reconstruction - accompanied by a range of advanced medical devices and technologies, according to Tong. 

On Tuesday, a four-month-old emergency pediatric patient successfully underwent a lumbar puncture procedure. The diagnostic technique - based on artificial intelligence, BCI technology and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation modeling - provides an objective, rapid and precise assessment of CSF flow conditions, which offers a reliable foundation for the child's follow-up treatment strategy.

"This year is expected to be a key year for the application of BCIs, with the technology poised for large-scale breakthroughs and a richer variety of application scenarios," Ming Dong, vice president of Tianjin University, told the Global Times on Thursday.