Why Can't We Plug Our Brain Into Our Computers?

from the blame-the-bureaucrats dept

Over at Salon, they're taking a look at the world of neuroprostheses - "medical devices that connect directly to the human brain, spinal cord or nerves." It turns out that there's been quite a lot of work done in the field, from the fairly mundane to the much more advanced. However, the writer suggests two major hurdles in making most of these devices mainstream. The FDA's costly approval process makes it so that almost all of these devices would be financially unsound investments. Second, Medicare refuses to reimburse patients who get such devices a reasonable amount. Of course, some might take the point of view that when you're messing with such things, perhaps it makes sense to have a careful review process. However, the article makes a convincing argument that (at least) their should be some middle ground to encourage these products to move forward.

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