A Brain Implant That Turns Your Thoughts Into Text | Tom Oxley | TED

翻译人员: Bella He 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

A few months ago,

几个月前，

I surrendered the password to my Twitter account

我把我的推特密码交给了

to let a person with paralysis tweet out their thoughts.

一位瘫痪患者， 让他用推文表达自己的想法。

But I mean that literally.

而且大家可以就按字面意思去理解。

Philip O'Keefe can't use his fingers to type like you or I,

菲利普·奥基夫（Philip O’Keefe） 无法像你我一样用手打字，

but thanks to a tiny brain implant,

但多亏了一块 小小的大脑植入芯片，

he was able to send the following tweets.

他才能发出以下推文。

"Hello world! Short tweet. Monumental progress."

“你好，世界！（常用于首次编程演示） 很短的推文，但确是丰碑式的进步。”

"No need for keystrokes or voices.

“不用敲键盘，也不用语音。

I created this tweet just by thinking it."

我靠意念发出了这条推文。”

"My hope is that I pave the way

“希望我为人们实现 通过想法发推一事

for people to be able to tweet through thoughts. Phil."

开创了先河。 菲尔致上。”

Now you might be thinking there are some people out there

你现在可能在想， 有些人不应该被允许

who should not be allowed to tweet directly from their brain.

直接发出脑内的想法。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

I agree.

我同意。

But for people with paralysis and disability,

但对于瘫痪和 有身体障碍的群体来说，

this technology can be life-changing.

这项技术会起到改变人生的作用。

I’m very excited to introduce you to Philip and Rodney.

我很激动能向你介绍 菲利普和罗德尼（Rodney）。

They both have a neurodegenerative disease called ALS,

他们都患有神经退行性疾病， 即渐冻症（ALS），

means they can't move their hands or speak clearly,

这意味着他们的手部不能 灵活移动，口齿也不太伶俐，

but they can now text

不过在脑机接口技术

thanks to a brain-computer interface or BCI.

（简称BCI）的支持下， 现在他们能够发消息了。

There were Philip’s brain signals up on the screen.

屏幕上显示的是 菲利普的大脑信号。

They’re connected to their computers via Bluetooth.

信号通过蓝牙连接着电脑。

The device is fully internalized, invisible to the outside world,

脑机接口设备是完全内置在体内的， 从外面看是见不到的，

and they learn to control the keyboard

然后用户学会通过脑内

with clicks directly coming from their brain.

输出的“点击”控制键盘。

Now BCIs conjure up images of science fiction like "The Matrix"

脑机接口通常会让人联想到 科幻电影的场景，比如《黑客帝国》，

with a cable jacked up into your brain through a hole in your skull.

电线插进头骨的开孔里，连接大脑。

But I'm here to show you that the future can be much more elegant than that.

但我想让你们知道脑机接口 在未来会比上述画面做得更人性化。

So we got this group chat going,

我们平时都有群聊，

which I thought was a great idea,

我本来觉得是个很棒的做法，

until they started roasting me about the TED Talk --

但在他们都开始拿 TED Talk 捉弄我之后，我不这么认为了，

(Laughter)

（大笑）

Which they found hilarious.

他们觉得我上 TED Talk 这件事很滑稽。

Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys,

谢谢你们的加油打气，朋友们，

bloody Australians.

“可恶”的澳大利亚人。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

Now you can see it's still quite slow for them to type this way,

如你们所见，他们这种方式的 打字速度还是挺慢的，

but this is like dial up speeds at the beginning of the Internet.

但这就类似于互联网 刚开始时的拨号上网阶段。

This is a new Moore's Law.

这是新的摩尔定律。

We're just getting started.

我们的未来可期。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

(Applause)

（掌声）

That's Philip.

这位是菲利普。

This has been the dream of patients and caregivers,

这是患者、护理者、医生、科学家们

doctors and scientists, for decades,

多年来梦寐以求的技术，

and for good reason.

而且理由很充分。

You may know someone who's lost the ability to use their hands,

你可能认识某个失去了 双手使用能力的人，

maybe from a stroke or a spinal cord injury

可能是由中风引起， 可能是脊髓损伤，

or multiple sclerosis, paralysis.

也有可能是因为 多发性硬化、麻痹症。

It comes in all shapes and sizes,

行动不便会导致各种各样的情况：

from minor inconvenience to life-threatening.

小到轻微的不便之处， 大到威胁生命安全。

During my neurology residency, I cared for a man in his 40s.

在我神经内科实习期间， 我看护了一个 40 来岁的病人。

He had a stroke and developed locked-in syndrome.

他中风后出现闭锁综合征。

Meant he couldn't move his body, except for his eyes, left or right.

这意味着除去他的双眼能左右 运动外，身体皆有运动障碍。

His brain still worked like yours.

他的大脑仍能正常运作， 跟各位的一样。

He could see and hear and think and feel just like normal,

他的视听能力、思考能力 和感官一切正常，

but he couldn't move or speak ever again.

但是他再也无法运动或说话。

And in what were horrific circumstances,

回想起来，还是很遗憾，

we supported his wish to be taken off life support.

那时我们遵循了他的意愿， 停用了他的生命支持设备。

And so I've been wondering ever since,

自此之后，我就在想，

was there not anything else that could have been done?

难道就真的没有其他办法了吗？

Connection is a fundamental human need.

情感联结是人类的基本需求。

So many of our patients have lost the ability to speak,

我的很多患者在很早之前就失去了

let alone type, for years,

言语能力，更别说打字的能力了，

and they so desperately want to reconnect with their family,

他们很渴望能和家人和所爱之人

with their loved ones.

再次交流联系起来。

You know what the main request we get is?

你猜我们最常听到的请求是什么？

Text messaging.

他们想要发文字消息的能力。

And then email.

发邮件的能力。

Control over their smartphone.

他们希望能掌控自己的手机。

And shock horror,

更让人意外的是，

social media.

他们希望参与到社交媒体中。

We've been speaking so much lately about the flaws of these technologies,

我们近来经常说起这些科技的缺点，

but for people with paralysis, this is a return to life.

但对瘫痪的人来说， 上述的科技能助他们重获新生。

BCIs make all of this possible.

脑机接口能让这一切变得可行。

Now, part of the problem has been

现在有个问题是

that BCIs typically require invasive surgery.

脑机接口一般都要开刀手术。

This is the Utah Array.

屏幕上是多通道神经电极 （Utah Array）。

This is designed similarly to all other BCIs

这个电极跟其他研发中的脑机接口

currently under development,

大同小异，

which require drilling needles directly into the brain.

它们都需要把针头径直 钻进脑内才能使用。

Now, this has been the basis of critical fundamental research

这类电极是过去 20 年间

基本且关键研究中的基石，

over the last 20 years

and the early proof that this technology really can perform.

也是脑机接口技术有 可能实现的早期证明。

But for patients, it means open-brain surgery,

然而对于患者来说， 这意味着开颅手术，

which involves cutting through the skull with a saw.

包括用锯子锯开头骨。

And there are only about 150 functional neurosurgeons in the US

在美国只有大概 150 名 功能性神经外科医生

that can perform this procedure.

能够操刀进行这项手术。

Apart from the fact that the recovery is tricky,

除了恢复过程很棘手 这个事实以外，

the brain doesn't really like having needles put into it.

人类的大脑实际上 也十分抗拒与针头接触。

It develops this foreign-body tissue rejection immune reaction over time.

手术后会多次引发 排斥异物组织的免疫反应。

So I've been wondering, is there any other way into the brain?

所以我一直在想， 有没有更好的接入大脑的方式？

And there is, a secret back door.

实际上是有的， 我们发现了一个秘密通道。

The blood vessels are the natural highways into the brain.

血管是连接大脑的天然通道。

These are hollow tubes that connect every corner of the brain.

这些空心的管道遍布大脑。

The largest vein at the top there is right next to the motor cortex.

大脑顶部最粗的那根血管 紧挨着运动皮层。

The exact part of the brain that we want to connect to

这个区域正是我们想要连接的地方，

to restore control to the outside world.

能让患者重获掌控外界能力的区域。

How cool is that?

太酷了吧。

Now we already know how to travel through the blood vessels.

我们早就掌握了 游走于血管间的技术。

We've been doing it for 40 years, mostly going to the heart.

40 年来，我们都在进行类似的操作， 对象多数是连接心脏的血管。

If anyone here today has had a heart attack,

在场的各位 如果以前发作过心脏病，

there's a pretty good chance you've had a stent.

相信你很有可能装过心脏支架。

A stent is a metal scaffold delivered through a catheter,

血管支架是一种 通过导管输送的金属支架，

which opens up like a flower into the blood vessel.

进入血管后会像花瓣一样展开。

Millions of stents are delivered each year,

每年有数百万个支架投入使用，

not in the OR,

但不是在手术室，

but in the cath lab or catheter laboratory.

而是只用在导管室。

It's now common in the cath lab to navigate up into the brain

如今在导管室里进行 将支架通过血管送至大脑的操作，

through the blood vessels.

已经很普遍了。

And there are 2,500 physicians

而且现有 2500 名左右的 医生有能力

who can now navigate their way up into the brain.

进行这项操作。

But what's really amazing about this

不过这项技术真正惊艳的地方在于：

is that for BCIs we already know

现在我们已经知道了脑机接口

that devices can be left inside a blood vessel,

装置可置于血管内,

cells grow over it, incorporate it into the wall

血管细胞会沿着装置增殖， 将其包裹在血管壁内，

like a tattoo under the skin,

成为皮肤之下的纹身一般的存在，

and we're protected from that immune reaction.

并且不会引起免疫反应。

This is part of the reason why our team became the first in the world

这也是我们团队成为世界上 第一支获得美国食品和药物管理局

to receive a green light from the FDA to conduct clinical trials

许可的个中原因， 我们团队是首支能进行

of a permanently implanted BCI.

永久性植入型脑机接口 临床试验的团队。

(Applause)

（掌声）

So what we had to do was figure out a way to put a sensor,

我们接着要做的事就是 找到放置感应器的方法，

connected to this crosslinks of the stent

感应器连接着支架的交联点，

that could record that brain activity.

交联点是记录大脑活动的地方。

To do that, we had to do a complete overhaul of stent manufacturing.

为解决问题，我们需全面 改造支架的生产方式。

This is the end result.

这就是最终成果。

I think it's very beautiful.

我觉得它十分美观。

Then connect it to a cable

再将它跟一条线缆相连，

which brings the information out of the brain

线缆起到将信息输送出大脑的作用，

and do it all in a way that it can be delivered in the cath lab.

并且以上过程皆能在导管室完成。

This way we can make BCI accessible not to the thousands of people,

这样脑机接口不会成为只有 几千人能够有机会接触的技术，

but to the millions of people who need this technology.

而是所有需要这项技术辅助的 数百数千万人都有机会。

So it wasn't easy, took us ten years,

所以即使过程很艰难， 花费了长达十年的时间，

but I'm very excited to show you guys.

我也很高兴能为你们展示：

We called this the Stentrode.

Stentrode 电子支架。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Graham Felstead, an incredible human being suffering with ALS,

格雷厄姆·费尔斯特德（Graham Felstead）， 美好的灵魂受困于渐冻症的折磨，

became the first person in the world

是世界上第一位

to receive and use one of these brain-computer interfaces.

接受并使用这款脑机接口的人。

And he has very generously offered you, the world,

他愿意向世界展示

a chance to see what it looks like inside his brain.

他的大脑内部影像。

Would you like to see?

你们想要看看吗？

Audience: Yes!

观众：想！

TO: Seeing this video for the first time

汤姆：初次看到这视频的瞬间，

was one of the most incredible moments of my life.

是我人生中 最不可思议的瞬间之一。

I was standing in the cath lab,

我在导管室里，

Dr. Peter Mitchell had just completed the surgery

彼得·米切尔（Peter Mitchell）医生 刚完成了这项手术，

and you can see the device, the outline of device,

你能看见这个装置，

sitting inside the blood vessel there.

血管内的装置轮廓，

So this popped up on the screen

这个场景能透过屏幕看到，

and it just felt like we were witnessing something new in the world.

那时我们感觉在见证世界的新奇迹。

I had tingles down my spine,

我起了一身鸡皮疙瘩，激动不已，

I've got them now thinking about it again.

再次想起那个瞬间也会起鸡皮疙瘩。

I turned to my colleague Pete,

我对我的同事彼得（Pete）说了一句话，

and I said something poetic and profound like,

充满诗意与深意的一句话：

"Pete, holy shit!"

“彼得，我去！”

(Laughter)

（大笑）

And then two hours later, something even more amazing happened.

两个小时后，更奇妙的事情发生了。

Graham woke up, and he asked, “Am I alive?”

格雷厄姆醒来并问道： “我还活着吗？”

And our nurse Kristine broke out in tears of relief.

我们的护士克里斯汀（Kristine） 忍不住大哭，同时松了一口气。

It was a phenomenal moment.

这是历史的一个新篇章。

Once it's in place,

装置放好后，

it's connected to this tiny antenna that sits under the skin in the chest.

会连接位于胸腔内的微型天线，

This collects the raw brain data

天线负责收集 未经处理的大脑数据，

and sends it out of the body wirelessly

再将数据无线传到

to then connect with external devices.

体外的外部设备。

It's always on and ready to go.

这套设施是全天候运行的， 而且技术成熟。

Kind of like how your brain is meant to work.

跟我们大脑的运转方式差不多。

So here's how it works.

装置系统的工作原理如下：

Our engineers work with our patients to decode specific movements.

我们的工程师跟患者 合作解码指定动作。

So we tell the patient, “Press down your foot.”

我们跟患者说：“脚趾压地。”

So they'll repeatedly press down their foot.

他们会反复地执行这个动作。

You won't see the foot moving because they're paralyzed,

不过实际上你是看不到脚在移动的， 因为患者是瘫痪的。

but we've been able to determine

这样做的目的是我们能定位

which brain signals are generally linked to “Press down your foot.”

大脑里哪个区域 在发出“脚趾压地”的信号。

The black dotted line is the moment of pressing down the foot,

图上的黑点就是“脚趾压地”时 发出信号的相关区域。

and you can see the brain signal is different before to after,

你能看到，执行动作之前与 之后的大脑信号是不同的，

which means we can turn that into a switch.

这意味着我们可以据此转化。

Now we repeat this for several different types of movements,

我们接着重复不同类型的行动，

say, open/close your hand or pincer-grip your finger.

比如，张手、握拳、捏住等。

Now, that may not seem like much,

这听上去似乎没什么大不了，

but these become the building blocks for every single interaction

但这是掌控电子设备的过程中

on a digital device that is needed for control.

每一项操作的基石。

Converted to

执行动作能转变成

click, up, down, left, right, menu, back, etc.

点击、上下左右移动、打开菜单、 返回等电子操作。

But what's really amazing is that to some degree,

然而真正的奇妙之处在于：

this process,

大脑信号在某种程度上来说

our brain signals, are universal.

是世界通用的。

So the brain signal for “Press down your foot” for me

我发出的“脚趾压地”的大脑信号

is the same as it is for you.

跟你的是一样的。

Now this means that we're creating a dictionary of the brain

这意味着我们在建立全人类

across all humans.

通用的大脑字典。

This is going to make BCI truly scalable.

脑机接口真的有可能 被广泛运用起来。

As Philip once said to me,

菲利普有一次对我说，

"It's kind of like learning how to ride a bike.

“这个过程跟学骑自行车差不多。”

It takes a bit of practice, but once you're rolling,

需要一点练习，但一旦学会了，

it becomes natural.

自然而然就会骑车了。

Now I just look on the screen where I want to click and I'm texting,

我能随意看着屏幕 点开我感兴趣的内容，

messaging the world via Twitter."

也能在推特上发信息。

But Graham,

可是，格雷厄姆他说，

he said, as his ALS was progressing,

在他的渐冻症病情 逐渐恶化的过程中，

that it gave him immense comfort to know that even if his body was failing,

就算身体越来越差， 如果他还能够跟他的妻子说爱她，

he was always going to be able to tell his wife that he loved her.

可以让他感到巨大的欣慰。

In the future,

将来，

I'm really excited about the breakthroughs BCI could deliver to other conditions

我很期待脑机接口能有新突破 并适用于其他病症，

like epilepsy, depression and dementia.

例如，癫痫、抑郁或阿尔兹海默症。

But beyond that,

但除此之外，

what is this going to mean for humanity?

这对全人类来说代表着什么？

What's really got me thinking is the future of communication.

我不断联想到未来的交流方式。

Take emotion.

拿情感为例，

Have you ever considered how hard it is to express how you feel?

你有想过表达自己的情感是 一件多么困难的事情吗？

You have to self-reflect,

你得先自我总结，

package the emotion into words

然后将情感转化为文字，

and then use the muscles of your mouth to speak those words.

再通过嘴部肌肉说出来。

But you really just want someone to know how you feel.

可你想要的是让别人知道你的情感。

For some people with certain conditions,

对部分受局限的人来说，

that's impossible.

这是不可能的。

So what if, rather than using your words,

但假如，不需要用文字包装好，

you could throw your emotion just for a few seconds?

你就能直接将情感传给别人呢？

And have them really feel how you feel.

让别人切身地体会到你的情感。

At that moment, we would have realized

那时，我们就会意识到

that the necessary use of words to express our current state of being

只用文字来表达自身的状态，

was always going to fall short.

是远远不够的。

The full potential of the brain would then be unlocked.

那时，大脑的所有潜能 也能被激发出来。

But for right now,

不过就目前来说，

BCI is about restoring the lives of millions of people with paralysis.

脑机接口的主要任务是让数百万 瘫痪患者重返社会生活。

After years of feeling trapped,

体会到多年社会活动受限的烦闷，

this technology promises the return of autonomy and independence.

这项技术能让患者重拾 自主独立的权力。

But what I really mean is dignity.

但我认为，重拾的更是患者的尊严。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）