This Week in Startups Brain-computer interfaces and the future of neural engineering with Dr. Benjamin Rapoport | E1682
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Feb 21, 2023 Dr. Benjamin Rapoport, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Precision Neuroscience, dives into the fascinating world of brain-computer interfaces. He reveals how the brain communicates with the body and discusses breakthroughs that made his company's innovations possible. The conversation explores the founding principles of Precision, the journey toward FDA approval, and the challenges of adaptive neural decoding. Rapoport emphasizes the potential of these technologies to transform treatments for neurological disorders, particularly paralysis.
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Family Influence
- Dr. Rapoport's family history in medicine and engineering influenced his interest in brain-computer interfaces.
- His father, a neurologist specializing in electrophysiology, and grandfather, an electrical engineer, exposed him to these fields early on.
Brain's Electrical Language
- Neurons communicate through electrical impulses, like a language with different accents for each brain.
- Decoding these signals requires adaptive computing to interpret the unique patterns of each brain.
Moore's Law in Neuroscience
- The Utah electrode array, developed in the late 80s/early 90s, standardized neuroscience by enabling recording from many neurons.
- This marked Moore's Law's arrival in neuroscience, allowing microelectronics to interface with electrodes, a turning point for brain-computer interfaces.