EMPOWER Early Feasibility Study: Non-invasive BCI to Control a Wheelchair for People With Paralysis

January 16, 2024 updated by: Synaptrix Labs Inc.

Visual Interface System for Improved Navigation and Accessibility Through EEG, Allowing for an EEG-driven Mobility Platform Offering Wheelchair-enabled Engagement and Rehabilitation (EMPOWER): An Early Feasibility Study (EFS) of Safety and Efficacy in Subjects With Severe Quadriplegia

Neuralis is an innovative assistive technology designed for individuals with severe neuromuscular conditions, enabling wheelchair control through EEG signals. This study aims to assess the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of Neuralis in restoring mobility and independence.

The device is a discreet EEG headset which specializes in decoding signals from visual cortex, allowing users to initiate precise wheelchair movements through focused attention. This research seeks to demonstrate Neuralis' potential in revolutionizing assistive technology by offering a non-invasive, user-friendly solution for individuals facing motor impairments, ultimately enhancing their quality of life.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Neuralis, developed by Synaptrix Labs, is an innovative assistive technology engineered to restore mobility and independence for individuals grappling with severe neuromuscular conditions. This cutting-edge device operates through a discreet and non-invasive EEG headset, comprising strategically placed dry sensors at on the occipital lobe, precisely targeting the visual cortex region.

The key breakthrough lies in Neuralis' capability to extract brain activity from subtle eye movements. Through this interaction, Neuralis decodes subtle EEG signals, effectively translating them into precise wheelchair navigation commands.

The device interfaces seamlessly with a user-friendly Neuralis mobile app, serving as the central control hub. This intuitive application handles calibration settings, connectivity, and destination selections through a simplified visual click-based protocol. The slim BCI headset captures EEG data, transmitting it via Bluetooth to the connected smartphone. Subsequently, the data is relayed to a secure cloud server, which houses an advanced computational infrastructure employing edge computing principles for optimal response times.

Within this cloud environment, a proprietary machine learning pipeline for EEG decoding and intent classification operates. Certain latency-sensitive steps run on the phone, while the cloud handles additional model training and personalization, leveraging scalable processing power. This dynamic architecture ensures a swift and near-instantaneous translation of the user's movement intentions into seamless wheelchair maneuverability.

What sets Neuralis apart is its ability to deliver robust functionality in a discreet, user-friendly manner. Its lightweight construction, comprising only four sensors, maximizes comfort while capturing essential visual cortex signals vital for nimble maneuvering. This fusion of advanced neurotechnology and user-centric design positions Neuralis as a significant leap forward in assistive devices, bridging the gap between usability and high-performance functionality for individuals with severe neuromuscular conditions.

Neuralis is completely non-invasive and built from stable, off the shelf parts. All data is encrypted.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

6

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10010
        • Synaptrix Labs
        • Contact:
          • Aryan Govil

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Severe quadriparesis
  2. Able to give consent
  3. Appropriate candidate for device
  4. Able and willing to access all clinical testing and not impeded by geographical location
  5. Proficient in English
  6. Have a study partner

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. History of seizures
  2. History of epilepsy
  3. Psychiatric or psychological disorder
  4. No study partner or caregiver
  5. Unable to provide evidence of COVID vaccination

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Device Feasibility
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Other: Patient Group / Arm
Use of non-invasive EEG headband device
Device: Intervention/Treatment
Non-invasive EEG headband device
Other Names:
  • Neuralis by Synaptrix Labs

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Device safety and efficacy
Time Frame: 1 month
Number of patients who can comfortable and safely use device
1 month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Synaptrix Labs Inc.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

November 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 5, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 5, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

December 13, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 18, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 16, 2024

Last Verified

January 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • SYNL-01-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

IPD will not be available to other researchers

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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