Why has one small array from Utah carried most human brain-computer interface research? · Grey Matter

For most of two decades it was the only high-channel microelectrode array with regulatory clearance for recording single neurons in people (its clinical version is cleared for short-term use), and Blackrock Neurotech has supplied it to research groups since the BrainGate trials began in 2004.

Why has one small array from Utah carried most human brain-computer interface research?

For most of two decades it was the only high-channel microelectrode array with regulatory clearance for recording single neurons in people (its clinical version is cleared for short-term use), and Blackrock Neurotech has supplied it to research groups since the BrainGate trials began in 2004. Its 4 by 4 mm grid of 96 to 128 needles reads the spikes that fine decoding needs, and its arrays have been studied in dozens of people for more than 30,000 implant days in total. Most landmark results, from cursor and robotic arm control to the speech decoders of 2023, were obtained with it, which is why newer devices are compared against it.