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 Sounding suspiciously like a gadget out of a science fiction movie, the iBrain is the latest neural device that is attempting to change the way we communicate. Developed by NeuroVigil – a San Diego-based startup and invented by Philip Low and his team of neuroscientists, the iBrain is making waves in the scientific world. The contraption may look like a sophisticated black headband adorned with a light, small box but is in fact part of the latest generation of devices used to measure electrical activity in the brain and to interpret brain waves.

According to Dr. Low, the iBrain can pick up brain waves or electrical signals that signify brain activity and transfer these signals wirelessly back to a computer. These signals change depending on what a person is thinking or doing. In cases where the person suffers from a neurological or brain disorder, these signals differ considerably as well. The iBrain can collect all this data while the person is at home, at work or even at sleep. This significantly changes the way things have been done so far when it comes to measuring brain activity. There is no longer the need for overnight stays at a clinic or hospital or the use of plastic caps and a million electrodes attached to various machines. With the help of a single channel the iBrain picks up raw waves and interprets them using a special algorithm created by Dr. Low. Known as the SPEARS algorithm, it was first created by Dr. Low for his PhD in 2007 using research done on zebra finches.

The iBrain has been in the news recently due to the collaboration between Dr. Low and NeuroVigil and the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking. Robbed of his speech and movement as result of a degenerative neural disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Stephen Hawking now communicates with the help of a customized speech generation device. Dr. Low and his team hope that the iBrain can help Professor Hawking create a repeatable pattern of brain waves that a computer can then interpret as speech. As part of the experiment, the researches traveled to Cambridge to test out the iBrain on Professor Hawking. The initial results were extremely encouraging and Dr. Low plans to repeat the same study with other patients suffering from neural degenerative diseases. While much work still remains, the team hopes that one day the iBrain will be able to integrate brain waves into speech and allow minds such as Stephen Hawking to communicate with ease.

Experts in the field and other scientists are excited about the potential of the iBrain. There are plans to use to device for autism studies and as a means to study the still hazy field of brain architecture. The iBrain according to Dr. Low can also be used to help diagnose and treat sleep disorders and mental illnesses such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Devices such as the iBrain can also help assess the efficacy of neurological drugs in experimental and clinical trials. In keeping with this line of thought, NeuroVigil tied up with the phrama giant, Hoffman-La Roche to further test the iBrain. While neither Hoffman La-Roche nor NeuroVigil has released any of these test results as yet, Dr. Low plans to go ahead and approach other drug companies as well as the Food and Drug Administration to run more clinical trials.

Currently, the team at NeuroVigil is in the process of developing the iBrain 2, which will be smaller and lighter than the original model. This version will also be able to monitor a person’s heart rate. The iBrain 3, not far behind is intended to be sold directly to the public and will include features such as EKG function and compatibility with iPhones and Android phones. However, Dr. Low is quick to insist that NeuroVigil remains first a medical concern and only after that a consumer company.

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