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Revolutionary brain-computer interface: A glimmer of hope for paraplegics!
On October 16, 2025, a groundbreaking brain-computer interface was used on a paraplegic man at the TUM Clinic.
Revolutionary brain-computer interface: A glimmer of hope for paraplegics!
A team from the University Hospital of the Technical University of Munich has taken a significant step in neurosurgery by implanting a novel brain-computer interface into a man paralyzed from the neck down. This operation, which lasted over five hours, marks the first of its kind in Europe. The innovative device is intended not only to enable research, but also to offer patients more participation, independence and quality of life.
25-year-old Michael Mehringer, who became paraplegic after a serious motorcycle accident at the age of 16, hopes that the new technology will allow him to eat and drink independently again and to significantly reduce the need for assistance in everyday life. He and his family became aware of the promising study “Artificial Intelligence for Neurodeficits” at the TUM Clinic through a newspaper report. Mehringer himself is optimistic and proud that he is contributing to research through his participation.
Details about implantation
The operation, led by Prof. Bernhard Meyer, director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Neurosurgery at the TUM Klinikum, posed a significant challenge. A custom-made implant with 256 microelectrodes was used to derive precise signals from the brain. These signals come from the area responsible for planning and executing complex grasping movements. Prof. Meyer emphasizes that the precise implantation of the electrodes was crucial to ensure exact recordings and precise measurements of the brain signals.
The research into the brain-computer interface aims to use the technology not only to improve the quality of life of patients, but also to make a valuable contribution to the further development of this still young and rapidly advancing field of research.
Future outlook
Michael Mehringer has developed remarkable resilience after his intense time in the hospital, which included 14 months in a coma and in the intensive care unit. Despite the challenges, he looks to the future with hope. Intensive research into artificial intelligence to support people with neurodeficiencies could not only improve his life but also the lives of many other sufferers. The implantation of the brain-computer interface could be seen as a groundbreaking step in neurosurgery.
The studies and operations in this area could play a crucial role in the coming years in how paraplegia is treated and what new avenues of rehabilitation can be opened up. Both aspects - technological advances and the human desire to improve one's own life situation - play a central role here.
TUM reports, that the goal of this research goes beyond technical aspects — it is the desire to restore quality of life and independence.
Healthcare in Europe reports on the profound challenges and opportunities arising from this novel technology. Michael Mehringer could become a pioneer in a new era of neurosurgery.