Elon Musk has revealed that the first human patient in whom experts have inserted a is well microchip Neuralink in his brain. The name of the device is Telepathy; there Food and Drug Administration had given the green light last May.
Neuralink microchip, thousands of people already candidates for the implant
Telepathy it could revolutionize the treatment of many neurological diseases. Musk’s company has begun the recruitment phase for the trial. Thousands of people have decided to apply.
To do it you must be under 40 years old and have paralysis in all four limbs. The objective is precisely to allow disabled people to move again, using their thoughts.
How is the Neuralink microchip inserted?
To insert the chip the neurosurgeons carried out a procedure craniectomy. This is a particularly invasive operation, in which doctors temporarily remove part of the skull to allow an intracranial operation. It generally takes two hours.
A robot takes care of inserting the chip which applies electrodes and electrical wires that will replace the removed portion of the skull. In fact, a small portion of the skull with a diameter of 2.2 centimeters is removed. This removal is done using a femtosecond lasertherefore capable of emitting pulses that last millionths of billionths of a second.
How does the Neuralink microchip work?
Basically this chip It works like neurons, which are brain cells. Neurons transmit signals to other cells in the human body, such as those of muscles and nerves, to push them to perform more or less complex actions. The microchip’s electrodes can read these signals, which are “translated” into orders to muscles and nerves. They can be controlled through the use of electrical devices such as smartphones and tablets.
There are many hopes, but also many doubts and worries
While the news is extremely important for thousands of paralyzed people, on the other clear ethical problems also emerge. Controversy had already erupted because the company had used a record number of 1,500 animals in the first tests. They were mostly pigs and monkeys.
There is There is also concern about the lithium batteries that are inside the microchip. Some experts argue that there is the possibility of migration of this substance within the brain. We also wonder what will happen if the device needs to be replaced.
Many scientists argue that these plants will require an impressive number of tests before making them commercially available. In the best case scenario it should take at least ten years.