Graphene brain-computer interface enters human trials
Photo credit: INBRAIN Neuroelectronics
Barcelona / Manchester — In late April 2026, INBRAIN announced it had completed patient recruitment for its first-in-human study of a graphene-based cortical interface, used during brain tumour surgery. The study, registered as NCT06368310, is sponsored by the University of Manchester and conducted with Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.
INBRAIN says ten patients were recruited, eight were treated surgically, and complete datasets were obtained from all eight treated patients. The company reported no perioperative device failure during use and no device-related adverse events up to surgical discharge. The primary endpoint includes a 90-day post-operative safety monitoring period, which is ongoing.
For Carolina Aguilar, CEO and co-founder of INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, the milestone marks a step in moving graphene-based brain-computer interface technology from research into clinical use.
“From the beginning, we set out to address a fundamental limitation in neurotechnology: existing interfaces lack the resolution, precision, and adaptability needed to truly personalise brain therapies,” Aguilar told MoveTheNeedle.news.
Why graphene—and why now
INBRAIN was founded by Aguilar, Jose Garrido, Kostas Kostarelos and Antòn Guimerà, bringing together expertise in neuroscience, materials science and medical devices.
At the centre of their approach is graphene, a material first isolated in 2004 by physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester. Their work—successfully extracting and studying a single layer of carbon atoms—earned them the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Graphene consists of a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice. Despite its minimal thickness, it is exceptionally strong, highly flexible and one of the most conductive materials known.
These properties have driven interest across industries, including flexible electronics, advanced sensors and energy storage. In healthcare, graphene’s combination of conductivity and biocompatibility makes it particularly suited to interfacing with biological tissue.
For neural interfaces, that matters. Conventional electrodes used in brain mapping are often limited by rigidity, size and signal sensitivity, which can restrict how well they conform to the brain’s surface and capture detailed activity.
“Our differentiation starts at the material level,” Aguilar said. “Graphene is ultra-thin, flexible, and highly conductive, enabling micrometric resolution—up to 10,000 times smaller than standard electrodes.”
The INBRAIN system is designed to both decode and modulate neural signals, supporting a closed-loop approach in which brain activity can be read and influenced in real time.
Inside the first-in-human study
The clinical study evaluates INBRAIN’s graphene cortical interface during neurosurgical procedures for brain tumour resection. Its primary objective is safety, with secondary endpoints including signal quality, stability, stimulation capability and compatibility with standard surgical tools and recording systems.
In selected awake procedures, patients performed tasks such as object naming, enabling researchers to assess how the system captured speech-related neural activity.
“So far, we’ve observed a favourable safety profile, with no device-related adverse events or failures during use,” Aguilar said. “Importantly, we’ve demonstrated high-resolution neural signal capture in the intraoperative setting, enabling precise brain mapping.”
The current findings relate to perioperative safety and technical performance. Longer-term outcomes will depend on completion of the 90-day follow-up and further clinical studies.
From surgical mapping to neurological therapies
INBRAIN is positioning its technology as a platform rather than a single product.
“We are building a platform that enables multiple products,” Aguilar elaborated. “Our graphene-based BCI-Tx system integrates hardware, software, and AI to decode and modulate neural networks in real time.”
BCI stands for brain-computer interface. INBRAIN uses the term BCI-Tx to refer to therapeutic applications designed to treat neurological conditions.
In the near term, the company sees applications in neurosurgery, including tumour and epilepsy procedures where higher-resolution mapping may support surgical precision. Longer term, it is targeting chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and stroke rehabilitation.
The company has received US Food and Drug Administration Breakthrough Device designation for its Parkinson’s programme, a pathway intended to accelerate development of technologies addressing serious conditions.
Funding and commercial direction
INBRAIN has raised approximately $68 million to date, including a $50 million Series B round led by imec.xpand. Investors include the EIC Fund, Asabys Partners and Aliath Bioventures, alongside strategic support from Merck KGaA.
This reflects growing investor interest in neurotechnology, particularly in approaches combining advanced materials with artificial intelligence.
Aguilar points to a brain-computer interface market opportunity estimated at more than $400 billion. The figure reflects the scope of potential applications, though commercial adoption will depend on clinical validation and regulatory progress.
What happens next
With enrolment complete, INBRAIN is analysing the full dataset from treated patients.
“Completing enrolment allows us to move into full dataset analysis across all patients, which is critical for validating both safety and performance,” Aguilar said.
The next phase will focus on confirming safety across the full monitoring period and assessing whether the system’s technical performance translates into clinical benefit.
For now, the study establishes that graphene-based neural interfaces can be used in a surgical setting without immediate safety concerns. Whether that material advantage leads to improved patient outcomes will be determined in the studies that follow.
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