Blackrock Neurotech's neural recording and stimulation platform — the commercial system that includes the Utah Array, CerePort connector, and Cerebus/NeuroPort signal processors used in the majority of human intracortical BCI research.

What category does NeuroPort belong to in BCI?

NeuroPort is a Devices concept in brain-computer interface science.

NeuroPort — BCI Glossary

The NeuroPort system is Blackrock Neurotech's integrated neural recording platform, comprising the Utah Array electrode, the CerePort percutaneous connector, and external signal acquisition hardware (amplifiers, digitizers, and software). NeuroPort has been the standard hardware platform for the majority of published human intracortical BCI research, including the entire BrainGate clinical program.

System Components

Utah Array: The 96-channel intracortical electrode array implanted in motor cortex
CerePort connector: Titanium percutaneous pedestal cemented into the skull, providing wired connection between the implanted array and external electronics
NeuroPort NSP (Neural Signal Processor): External hardware that amplifies, filters, and digitizes signals from all 96 channels at up to 30 kHz per channel
Central software suite: Software for real-time signal visualization, spike sorting, and data storage
Stimulation capability: Some NeuroPort configurations support microstimulation through the array for sensory feedback applications

Clinical Track Record

The NeuroPort system has been used in every major human intracortical BCI study:

BrainGate/BrainGate2 clinical trials (2004-present)
Stanford/BrainGate handwriting and speech BCI studies
University of Pittsburgh bidirectional BCI studies
Multiple other IDE-authorized research programs

This extensive clinical history makes NeuroPort the most validated intracortical recording system in the world, with over 40 human implants and thousands of recording sessions.

Limitations

The NeuroPort system's limitations reflect its age (design largely unchanged since the early 2000s):

Percutaneous connector limits deployment to supervised research settings
96 channels is modest compared to newer devices (Neuralink: 1,024)
Rigid silicon array drives foreign body response
External processing hardware is bulky (rack-mounted equipment)

Blackrock Neurotech Evolution

Blackrock Neurotech is developing next-generation wireless systems (MoveAgain BCI) that retain the Utah Array electrode concept but replace the percutaneous connector with a wireless transmitter, addressing the primary barrier to clinical deployment. The company also develops higher-channel-count arrays and flexible electrode technologies.