Post by Prof. Dr. Bernhard Meyer

We had imagined today would go differently. The surgical team was ready. The scientific questions were clear. The procedures had been coordinated down to the last detail. Nevertheless, FUTRUE Neurosciences and we decided at the very last minute to postpone the brain-computer interface implantation scheduled for today. Dr. Clemens Fischer, CEO of FUTRUE Neurosciences, provided a transparent update on this earlier. You can find the direct link to his post in the comments. What was the reason? During the final quality control check, a value was detected that was slightly outside the defined specifications. It was immediately clear: This procedure will not take place today. Patient safety does not come second to innovation. It takes precedence over it. In neurosurgery, there is no gray area. If there is even the slightest doubt, the implant will not be performed. Of course, this decision is disappointing. It is disappointing for everyone who has worked toward this procedure over the past weeks and months with extraordinary precision, dedication, and great personal energy. But it is precisely in moments like these that it becomes clear whether a culture of safety and quality is merely stated or actually lived out. For me, this postponement is not a sign of failure. It is a sign of responsibility in action. The field of brain-computer interfaces is highly dynamic from a scientific perspective and has enormous societal implications. We are working on technologies that have the potential to open up new forms of self-determination, participation, and quality of life for people with severe neurological disorders. We must therefore never prioritize ambition over responsibility. A system does not prove its resilience when everything is going smoothly. It proves its resilience when, even on the verge of a milestone, it has the strength to impose limits on itself - when control mechanisms are treated for what they are: protective measures for patients and an expression of medical integrity. At the Department of Neurosurgery at TUM Klinikum Rechts der Isar, we are working on neurotechnology that is sustainable in the long term. Together with our partners, we are committed with care, conviction, and respect for our patients - to advancing neurotechnology in order to set new standards in BCI research. However, this commitment is only meaningful if it remains focused on patient safety at all times. Today’s decision was disappointing. From a medical, scientific, and ethical standpoint, it was the right one. We will perform the procedure only when all quality criteria have been clearly met. Not before. This is the only way to build trust in a technology that will have a future only if people can be certain that, at critical moments, responsibility - not ambition - will prevail. Photo: Heidi Willmann Technische Universität München Thomas F. Hofmann Marcello Ienca