Neuralink, the brain chip company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has received approval from an independent review board to proceed with its first human trial of a brain implant for paralyzed patients. The trial will test the safety and effectiveness of Neuralink’s wireless, implantable brain-computer interface, which aims to allow individuals with paralysis to control external devices using their thoughts.
The trial is open to patients with paralysis caused by cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This development follows Neuralink’s announcement in May that it had obtained authorization from US regulators to test brain implants in humans.
Neuralink celebrated the approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through a statement on its Twitter account. The company aims to develop devices that can be implanted in the brain to enhance human capabilities and treat neurological diseases. The potential application of this technology for individuals with disabilities is to restore or enhance sensory or motor functions that have been lost or damaged due to injury or illness. For instance, a paralyzed individual could control a robotic arm using their mind.
Neuralink describes its brain-computer interface as fully implantable and cosmetically invisible, allowing users to control a computer or mobile device wherever they go. The implant’s threads are incredibly fine and are inserted by a surgical robot precisely where they need to be.
The objectives of the Neuralink chip include developing a high-bandwidth brain-computer interface to communicate and control external devices using the mind, studying and treating neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and merging human intelligence with artificial intelligence to enhance cognitive abilities and prevent being surpassed by AI.
The chip, called N1, has a diameter of 8 millimeters and contains wires with electrodes comparable in size to neurons in the brain. These wires are inserted into different areas of the brain to capture electrical signals related to thoughts and actions. The chip communicates wirelessly with a device worn behind the ear, enabling information exchange between the brain and computer to control external devices or modify brain functioning.
Initially, the Neuralink chip will assist the healthcare industry by helping paraplegic individuals with tasks such as using a telephone or operating a computer. In the future, it could potentially restore speech, movement, and memory. The ultimate goal is for humans to communicate with each other without speaking by reading each other’s minds.
The surgery to implant the chip requires a 2 millimeter incision that will be dilated to 8 millimeters. After the procedure, the exposed region of the skull will be covered with the chipset module. The installation operation can take up to two hours, and the patient may undergo partial anesthesia throughout the surgery.
This development brings Neuralink closer to its mission of enhancing lives and restoring independence through brain-computer interfaces and highlights the promising potential of this technology in advancing healthcare and human capabilities.