Stephen Ryu, a neurosurgeon and key figure in the Stanford Neuroprosthetics Lab joins Tjaša Zajc on Faces of Digital Health to demystify brain–computer interfaces (BCIs): how they work, why invasive systems outperform non-invasive ones, realistic use cases (motor control and speech), timelines and durability, safety and MRI trade-offs, cybersecurity, business models, and what Paradromics is building as a high-bandwidth BCI platform.

Throughout, Stephen separates science fact from sci-fi, stressing near-term potential to restore communication and movement for people living with paralysis, while noting earlier-stage areas like mental health and pain.

What we cover:
- Invasive vs. non-invasive BCIs, and why electrode proximity to neurons matters for performance
- Decoding motor intent and speech: training, language considerations, and LLM-enabled synthesis
- Safety, surgery, and durability (why 10-year implant lifespans are a meaningful target)
- MRI/CT compatibility trade-offs (and parallels to pacemakers/DBS)
- Cybersecurity realities (what BCIs can not do today)
- Business models, regulation, and reimbursement paths for medical-grade BCIs
- Paradromics’ differentiation: a high-bandwidth platform designed to scale across use cases
- Future indications: pain, sensory restoration; earlier stage: mental health biomarkers
- The human impact: restoring connection for people who can’t move or speak

Chapters:

01:37 How BCIs work; signals, decoding, invasive vs. non-invasive
07:13 Surgery basics, risks, and why proximity boosts performance
09:36 Decoding speech & language considerations
13:31 What’s most advanced today: motor + speech
14:58 Mental health: biomarkers and why it’s early
17:48 Longevity, MRI/CT limits, realistic replacement intervals
21:16 Patient perception: fear, performance, and value vs. alternatives
25:04 Paradromics’ platform & high-bandwidth approach
29:22 Platform use cases by brain area (motor, auditory, etc.)
31:18 Cybersecurity: risks today vs. sci-fi
32:35 Business models, regulation, and access
36:42 Trials landscape; Paradromics’ timeline
37:53 Biggest concerns: hype vs. reality
39:50 Three things everyone should know about BCIs
42:10 Potential in pain management
44:41 Role of AI/ML in decoding and assistive apps
46:36 Final thoughts

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