Brain-computer interface Photo: VCG

　　The world"s first invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) medical device has been approved for market launch recently, and China"s National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) assigned a medical insurance code to the product, bridging the critical gap from regulatory approval to clinical application, the People"s Daily reported on Wednesday.

　　The BCI device was made by Neuracle, a Chinese neural technology company based in Shanghai.

　　The company told the Global Times on Wednesday that the NHSA"s rapid assignment of a medical insurance code indicates "strong" support for innovative medical-care technology, and it is also an "authoritative" recognition of the company"s technological strength, as well as the device"s clinical value.

　　The company said that its implantable BCI product contains movement function compensation system, useful to cure patients with high-level paraplegia caused by spinal cord injuries.

　　At present, China has more than 3.7 million patients with spinal cord injuries, with the number increasing by about 90,000 new cases each year. This innovative device works by implanting a coin-sized, minimally invasive device inside the patient"s cranium, and the system could collect and decode brain signals in real time, enabling patients to control an external pneumatic glove through sheer "thought" alone, allowing them to independently perform daily actions such as grasping, picking up objects, and drinking water, the company said.