NEO Brain Chip and Neuralink

China’s NEO brain chip and Elon Musk’s Neuralink are two brain computer interface (BCI) technologies being developed to help people with paralysis or movement problems control devices using their thoughts. NEO was developed by Tsinghua University and Neuracle Technology. It is a small coin-sized device with eight electrodes. Instead of being placed inside the brain, the device sits on the dura mater which is the protective layer covering the brain. NEO is mainly designed to help people with cervical spinal cord injuries control their hand movements, such as picking up or holding objects. On March 13, 2026, China’s National Medical Products Administration approved NEO for commercial medical use, making it the first invasive BCI to receive this type of approval in China. 

Neuralink developed by Elon Musk’s company uses a device called the N1 chip. It has very thin and flexible electrode threads that are placed directly into the brain. A special surgical robot is used to insert these threads. The system is being tested for controlling computers and other devices through brain signals including in people with paralysis. Unlike NEO, Neuralink is still being tested in human clinical trials as part of the US FDA approval process. In early 2026 Neuralink reported that 21 participants around the world had received its implants in human clinical trials.

In simple terms, NEO works by placing electrodes on the protective covering of the brain, while Neuralink places tiny electrodes directly inside the brain. Both technologies have the same basic goal helping people with serious movement problems use their brain signals to control devices or movements. This NEO Chip is for a specific group of patients with cervical spinal cord injuries who have difficulty using their hands. Patients generally need to be adults between 18 and 60 years old, have had the injury for at least one year, and have remained medically stable for at least six months after standard treatment. They must have serious difficulty grasping objects with their hands but still have some movement in their upper arms. Reports from China indicate that around 32 to 36 people have taken part in NEO clinical studies, although the exact number depends on which study is being counted. NEO is designed mainly to help people with paralysis regain useful hand grasping ability.

The main difference between the two systems is there their approach and regulatory status. NEO has received commercial approval in China for a specific medical use involving hand function after cervical spinal cord injury, while Neuralink’s N1 remains an experimental device being tested in human clinical trials. This does not necessarily mean that one technology is better than the other they are being developed for somewhat different purposes and are at different stages of approval.

Source :  Bird and Bird, Reuters, The Times Of India 

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