Well this here is certainly an idea:
Inner Cosmos, a new neurotechnology company founded by serial entrepreneur Meron Gribetz, today presented its first neural implant to treat depression. The neurotechnology company created what it calls "a digital pill for the mind," a tiny implant similar to a cochlear implant. "We've built the cochlear implant for the much larger market of depression, which later will also treat other cognitive disorders," said founder and CEO Meron Gribetz.
I'm not trying to be a luddite here. I'm just saying that I have a reflexive distrust of putting any sort of computer thing into my head.
Is that so wrong?
When it comes to our understanding of depression and how to treat it, I also have to note we have a pretty bad track record thus far:
The tech seems compelling at least, which should be good for investors!
The unique system design has two parts. First, there is the implant, which is the size of a fingernail. It is implanted under the skin and lays unobtrusively next to the skull. The other part is the "prescription pod," itself quite small, which snaps onto hair to power the device.
Powered by hair?
The psychiatrist programs this device, this Power or data Pod, and they tune the device moving the dials for each individual patient's need. The clinician need not be local to do this, either. Sensors are constantly monitoring the implant. A doctor can check a dashboard to see how their patients' brains are doing in real time.
I'm not so sure I'd like a doctor being able to "check a dashboard" in order to "see how my brain is doing." That sounds, to put it mildly, extremely creepy.
(Not to mention our aforementioned track record)
On its website, the company touts its product as "the digital pill [that] adapts to you," claiming it deploys "precision micro-stimulations focused to your individual brain networks, while eliminating the risk associated with invasive neurosurgery:"
Sounds like one of those great late-night infomercials!
At any rate, it looks like regulators have given them the green light to start the human trials:
The company recently received FDA Investigational Device Exemption approval to conduct the first human study.
