In a step forward for brain-computer interfaces, Paradromics announced that a patient with a paralyzing neurological disorder used a brain implant to converse in real time, even when she was simply thinking about what to say. The 68-year-old Michigan woman, who has lost most of her speaking ability, was able to use the device to have spontaneous conversations via a computer-generated voice, including on the phone with her grandchildren.

The woman, the first patient in the Paradromics clinical trial, was implanted with the company's Connexus B.C.I. system, which contains more than 400 electrodes, in June at University of Michigan Health. The trial will include 10 patients around the country with various disorders that cause speech and limb paralysis. The patient, whose name was not disclosed, has primary lateral sclerosis.

The results reported Monday have not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a journal. Matt Angle, the founder and CEO of Paradromics, said the system was able to detect and tell the difference among signals the woman's brain generated during different activities related to communication. Experts said the company's results are notable, particularly because the system is wireless and self-contained.