通向“人机融合”的下一步？超声波“读脑”技术初露头角

Core Viewpoint - Brain-machine interface (BMI) technology has made significant advancements, with companies like Neuralink leading the way, but these methods involve invasive surgeries and high risks. Merge Labs, a new startup, aims to develop a non-invasive approach using ultrasound technology to read and modulate brain activity, potentially treating mental health disorders and enhancing cognitive processes [2][3]. Group 1: Company Overview - Merge Labs was founded in January this year and has secured $252 million in funding from investors, including OpenAI, indicating a strong interest in innovative BMI technologies [2]. - The company is exploring a new type of brain-machine interface that could not only decode information but also treat conditions like depression and addiction, marking a significant shift in the approach to human-machine interaction post-ChatGPT [2]. Group 2: Technology and Methodology - Traditional BMIs rely on electrode arrays that require invasive surgeries, which pose risks and limit the interaction to specific brain areas. In contrast, Merge Labs utilizes functional ultrasound, which emits high-frequency sound waves to monitor blood flow changes, indirectly inferring neuronal activity [3][4]. - The ultrasound method is less invasive, requiring only placement beneath the skull or through a small window in the skull, allowing for monitoring of multiple brain regions simultaneously [4]. Group 3: Advanced Techniques - Merge Labs is also investigating "sonogenetics," a cutting-edge technique that makes specific neurons more sensitive to ultrasound, enabling precise activation or inhibition of targeted neurons. This could lead to more personalized treatment options for neurological disorders [5]. - Sonogenetics combined with ultrasound may offer new therapeutic avenues, such as restoring partial vision in blind patients and assisting cancer treatment by modulating surrounding neural activity [5]. Group 4: Ethical and Technical Challenges - The involvement of AI in Merge Labs' technology raises ethical and privacy concerns, particularly regarding the sensitivity of brain data and the intentions behind AI's role in processing this data [6]. - Despite the potential of functional ultrasound, it has inherent limitations, such as a response time lag due to its reliance on blood flow changes, which may hinder real-time applications like speech decoding [6][7]. - Merge Labs is still in the exploratory phase, having demonstrated the ability to decode monkey movement intentions and detect human brain activity during activities like playing guitar, but significant challenges remain before human application [7].