A new brain-computer interface (BCI) is the first to translate both speech and movement with a single device that reads data from implanted electrodes.

In a recent paper published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers revealed how their new BCI simultaneously communicates verbal and non-verbal information in seconds.

This is a major step forward in BCI research, as human communication relies on body language as much as spoken words to convey meaning. For the first time, one implant marries these two separate elements of communication, offering a breakthrough for individuals with severe paralysis.

A New BCI

The team’s new BCI translates electrical signals from the brain into text using artificial intelligence. The decoded information can then be used to control a digital avatar, guiding both its speech and movements.

The BCI field has made significant strides in recent years, allowing humans to control cursors and robotic arms or even communicate through synthesized speech. However, those projects have generally focused on a single mode of communication, whereas this new system is multifunctional, allowing it to capture more of the rich nuance of human communication.

“This gives us hope for neural prosthesis that will enter day-to-day usage,” said Christian Herff, a computational neuroscientist at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Since both are related to communication, it should be no surprise that the neural signals responsible for speech can overlap. That can make the business of separating them for two different functions at the same time extremely challenging. Additionally, when the brain commands the body to speak and move at the same time, the neural activity coordinating those activities can vary from what it would be if only one were occurring at a time.

Collecting Human Neural Data

Two volunteers worked with the researchers to test the new BCI, which involved surgically implanted arrays comprising 253 electrodes on the surface of the cortex. By covering portions of the sensorimotor cortex with so many electrodes, the team captured a large number of signals associated with attempted speech and movement.

Following a brainstem stroke, one volunteer experienced impaired speech and movement capabilities. The team instructed him to wave, shake his hands, clap, and nod. Additionally, they gave him five phrases to attempt to speak silently.

The other volunteer had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a motor neuron disease that causes progressive motor impairment and can lead to loss of speech. Although he could only move his facial muscles, he was capable of typing messages. Researchers gave him ten phrases to imagine vocalizing and ten gestures to imagine performing.

BCI Testing Results

Using the electrode implants, the BCI recorded neural activity generated by each attempt, including when participants attempted movement and speech separately or simultaneously. The team then trained AI models to translate those signals, finding that including data from simultaneous activities improved decoding performance.

With this neural activity mapped, the team then had the volunteers attempt to control a digital avatar using the BCI. Again, testing involved isolated and combined verbal and gestural communication. However, this time, instead of relying exclusively on preselected responses, the participants were asked questions in real time.

Accuracy varied between the volunteers, with the first achieving perfect BCI decoding of the tested movements and speech, while the second recorded 75% speech accuracy and 85% gesture accuracy.

While achieving such promising results for combined speech and gesture signals represents a major step forward in BCI research, more work is needed to continue refining the technology. Higher levels of speech accuracy have been achieved with speech-only devices, and this test was limited to individual sentences rather than continuous speech. Additionally, the device captured gestures rather than steady hand positions.

These limitations were partly intentional, as the team initially simplified its decoding tasks while making the jump to simultaneous actions. Further research could expand the system to recognize movements involving additional parts of the body and enable finer control of the many joints in the hands.

The paper, “Simultaneous Speech and Gesture Decoding for Multimodal Communication in Paralysis,” appeared in Nature Neuroscience on September 14, 2026.

Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.

Sometimes the smartest way to make a medical device smaller isn't to shrink it—it's to fold it.

In a groundbreaking advancement that could reshape the landscape of bioelectronic medicine, researchers have developed a wirelessly powered, bioresorbable electrical stimulation system with unprecedented programmable control over stimulation waveforms. This innovation integrates tissue-penetrating near-infrared (NIR) light to modulate electrical currents with precision, harnessing a novel bioresorbable silicon phototransistor as the cornerstone of its operation. Pioneering beyond earlier monophasic pulse devices, this technology allows for the delivery of monophasic, biphasic, and polyphasic stimulation patterns, significantly enhancing the versatility and therapeutic potential of implantable electrical stimulators designed to dissolve harmlessly after use.

Traditional electrical stimulators implanted in biological tissues have largely relied on wired connections or bulky batteries, impeding patient mobility and often necessitating additional surgeries for device removal. Bioresorbable devices emerged as a solution to these challenges by safely degrading in the body over time, eliminating the risks associated with permanent implants. However, these earlier systems primarily delivered monophasic pulses, limiting therapeutic precision and adaptability in complex treatments. The innovation reported by Kim, Seo, Wang, and colleagues introduces a new paradigm by integrating wireless power transfer via NIR light and programmable waveform control within a fully bioresorbable platform, thus extending the functional range and easing the clinical management of bioelectronic therapies.

Central to this system is the incorporation of bioresorbable silicon phototransistors engineered to serve as optoelectronic modulators within the electrical circuitry. When illuminated by externally applied near-infrared light that penetrates deep into biological tissues, these phototransistors effectively adjust current flows at critical circuit nodes. This optical modulation capability replaces conventional electronic control elements, which often rely on persistent power sources or invasive wiring, thereby enabling the device to operate autonomously while still allowing fine-tuning of stimulation parameters through non-contact optical inputs.

The adoption of near-infrared light as the wireless power and control mechanism is particularly significant. NIR light possesses the ability to penetrate through several centimeters of tissue without causing damage, providing a safe and efficient transmission channel between the external controller and the implanted device. This feature supports programmability in situ, empowering clinicians to tailor electrical stimulation waveforms dynamically after device implantation. Precisely controlling the shape, amplitude, and timing of the electrical pulses is crucial for optimizing therapeutic outcomes in applications such as neuroregeneration and cardiac pacing.

The research team demonstrated the remarkable versatility of their bioresorbable system by successfully delivering a variety of stimulation waveforms. Monophasic pulses, which are unidirectional current flows, serve as a baseline therapy. More complex biphasic and polyphasic waveforms, which alternate current direction and comprise multiple phases respectively, have been shown to minimize tissue damage and improve efficacy in various biosignaling contexts. The ability to generate these sophisticated patterns expands the therapeutic range of the device, potentially enabling treatments that were previously inaccessible using bioresorbable technologies.

In demonstrating practical utility, the device was tested in both small and large animal models, validating its capacity for clinically relevant electrical stimulation regimes. The system was effectively employed in single- and dual-chamber cardiac pacing, a critical intervention for managing arrhythmias and heart block. Through controlled electrical stimulation, the device could synchronize cardiac contractions, a feat crucial for restoring efficient cardiac output. These trials highlight the translational potential of the technology for future human applications, situating it as a promising alternative to current electronic pacemakers that require permanent implantation and battery replacements.

Further extending the functional scope, the researchers utilized the bioresorbable stimulator to activate phrenic neuromuscular pathways to either induce or block diaphragmatic movements. The phrenic nerve controls diaphragmatic excursion, essential for respiration, and its modulation has significant implications for respiratory therapies, such as in patients with spinal cord injuries or central hypoventilation syndromes. By enabling wireless, programmable neurostimulation of the phrenic nerve, the technology offers a minimally invasive approach to manage life-sustaining respiratory functions, with the added benefit of device degradation after the therapeutic window.

The bioresorbable nature of the silicon phototransistors and associated electronics assures that after fulfilling their therapeutic role, the devices gradually dissolve into biocompatible byproducts. This process circumvents the complications related to device explantation surgeries, reducing patient risk and healthcare costs. Moreover, the materials chosen minimize inflammatory responses and tissue irritation, facilitating seamless integration with host biology during the operational phase.

The engineering behind this system represents an intersection of materials science, optoelectronics, and biomedical engineering. The architecture leverages the semiconducting properties of silicon in thin-film, bioresorbable form, combined with circuit design optimized for minimal power consumption and maximal efficiency during NIR irradiation. These multidisciplinary innovations collectively overcome longstanding barriers in the fabrication of transient electronic implants capable of sophisticated programmable functionality.

Controlling the stimulation waveforms via light permits remote adjustment without physical connections, paving the way for real-time therapeutic modulation responsive to patient status or physiological signals. Future iterations could incorporate feedback mechanisms by integrating bioresorbable sensors that monitor tissue response, creating closed-loop systems for personalized medicine. This dynamic adaptability could be transformative in managing chronic conditions requiring variable and responsive electrical stimulation protocols.

This research also addresses one of the fundamental challenges of implantable devices: power delivery. The optical wireless power transfer circumvents the need for bulky batteries or explant procedures, offering renewed device miniaturization potential. Coupled with programmable phototransistors, these innovations enable multifunctional implants that conform to soft tissues and degrade harmlessly, a trifecta crucial for implantation in sensitive organs like the heart and nervous system.

The ability to deliver polyphasic waveforms through a single bioresorbable receiver unit is particularly noteworthy. Conventionally, generating these complex waveforms requires sophisticated circuitry and stable power sources, neither of which are trivial to implement in resorbable devices. The research showcases how optical control unlocks this capability without sacrificing bioresorbability or wireless operation, representing a paradigm shift in transient biomedical electronics.

The successful application of this device in large animal cardiac models bridges a critical gap toward clinical translation. Such models replicate human physiological scales and complexities far more closely than small animals, validating both the efficacy and safety of the system under conditions analogous to human therapies. This demonstration is an essential milestone on the path toward human clinical trials and eventual regulatory approval.

Moreover, the phrenic nerve stimulation experiments illustrate the broader applicability beyond cardiac pacing. Neuromuscular control via electrical stimulation has vast clinical relevance, from restoring motor function to modulating organ systems. The biodegradable, wireless nature of this system makes it especially suited for temporary therapeutic interventions, such as post-surgical recovery or transient disease states, where permanent implants would be unnecessary or undesirable.

While this work represents a major leap forward, ongoing challenges remain, including further optimization of device longevity relative to treatment durations, refinement of light delivery systems to maximize tissue penetration and minimize off-target effects, and integration with advanced biocompatible materials to tailor resorption timelines. Addressing these will be key to broadening the range of clinical applications and ensuring patient safety across diverse scenarios.

Overall, this wirelessly powered, light-controlled, bioresorbable stimulation system emerges as a versatile platform poised to transform bioelectronic therapies. Its elegant combination of programmable polyphasic waveform delivery, wireless operation via near-infrared light, and full bioresorbability addresses critical limitations of current implantable stimulators. By enabling sophisticated, minimally invasive, and transient electrical stimulation paradigms, this technology advances the frontiers of regenerative medicine, cardiac therapy, and neuromodulation, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of biomedical devices.

Subject of Research: Wireless bioresorbable electrical stimulation device with programmable waveform control using near-infrared light

Article Title: A wirelessly powered, light-controlled, bioresorbable stimulation system with programmable polyphasic waveforms

Article References:
Kim, J.U., Seo, S.G., Wang, H. et al. A wirelessly powered, light-controlled, bioresorbable stimulation system with programmable polyphasic waveforms. Nat Electron (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-026-01655-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-026-01655-8

Une équipe de chercheurs américains présente une nouvelle approche du pacemaker sans intervention invasive. Leur technologie, encore expérimentale, pourrait ouvrir la voie à une nouvelle génération de dispositifs médicaux portables.