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Therapeutic BCI

Supporting recovery with targeted stimulation

Illustrating a rehabilitation session in the University of Washington study, in which chronic stroke patients with upper-limb impairment are treated with the CorTec Brain Interchange BCI. AI-generated image.

After a stroke, movement is often lost because the surviving brain tissue struggles to reorganize on its own. Brain Interchange is an investigational system designed to support recovery by delivering targeted stimulation to the motor cortex, helping the brain draw on its own neuroplasticity during rehabilitation. It records cortical activity and stimulates in a closed loop, so stimulation can be aligned with the patient's own neural signals. The goal is to support more effective, personalized motor recovery for people living with the lasting effects of stroke. Brain Interchange is an investigational device and is not approved for commercial use.

Brain Interchange is implanted in a single surgical procedure. Grid electrodes are placed on the surface of the brain to record activity and deliver stimulation, and the implant itself is set into a recess created in the skull, so it sits flush beneath the scalp with nothing protruding. Once the study is complete, the implant and the electrodes can be removed entirely, leaving no residual material behind.

Learn more about Brain Interchange Learn more about the stroke study

Preliminary outcomes

Stronger Motor Recovery in 6 Weeks Than in the Entire Previous Year

Observed in the first three study participants with an investigational device.

Therapeutic Effect Persists beyond therapeutic study phase

Observed in the first three study participants with an investigational device.

Stable Wireless Operation for 6+ Months

Observed in the first three study participants with an investigational device.

Understanding stroke

A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, injuring that tissue within minutes. Depending on which region is affected, it often leaves lasting motor impairment, such as weakness or loss of control in an arm or hand. Rehabilitation helps many people regain function, but progress frequently plateaus, and many survivors are left with impairments that standard therapy cannot fully resolve. That gap is what Brain Interchange aims to address.

The scale of stroke

1 in 4

people will have a stroke in their lifetime ¹⁴²

11.9 million

new strokes worldwide each year ³

3rd

leading cause of death and disability worldwide ³

Up to 50%

of survivors live with lasting disability 5

Sources
1 safestroke.eu, Stroke Facts and Figures
2 Feigin VL et al., Global, Regional, and Country-Specific Lifetime Risks of Stroke, 1990 and 2016. N Engl J Med. 2018;379(25):2429-2437
3 WHO, Stroke fact sheet
4 CDC, Stroke Facts
5 Donkor ES, Stroke in the 21st Century, Stroke Research and Treatment. 2018;3238165

Clinical Insights

Interview with Mariska van Steensel: Inside the INTENSE Project Part 2

Interview with Mariska van Steensel: Inside the INTENSE Project Part 2

The Power of Active Implant Sytems

The Power of Active Implant Sytems

Interview with Mariska van Steensel: Inside the INTENSE Project

Interview with Mariska van Steensel: Inside the INTENSE Project

CorTec's Brain Interchange™ BCI System Enables Stroke Patient to Control Computer with his Mind

CorTec's Brain Interchange™ BCI System Enables Stroke Patient to Control Computer with his Mind

The Brain Interchange System is an investigational device and is not approved for commercial use. CAUTION: Investigational device. Limited by Federal (or United States) law to investigational use.

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