Musk's Neuralink implants 'Telepathy' chip in first human trial
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Telepathy allows people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.
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Elon Musk departs the Phillip Burton Federal Building and United States Court House in San Francisco, on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.(AP)
Elon Musk stated that the first human patient received an implant from brain-chip startup Neuralink on Sunday and is recovering well.
Yesterday, Musk posted on X: "Initial results show promising neuron spike detection."
The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2024
Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.
The National Institute of Health defines spikes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body. They are activity by neurons.
In the study, a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant is surgically placed by a robot in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuarlink stated previously, adding that those implants' ultra-fine threads ease transmission of signals in the participants' brains, according to Reuters.
The first product from Neuralink would be called Telepathy, Musk said in a separate post on X, further affirming his company's previous statement that its initial goal is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.
Enables control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 30, 2024
Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs.
Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal.
Neuralink's PRIME Study is a trial for its wireless brain-computer interface to test and study the safety of the implant and surgical robot.
The trial was approved in September
Neuralink, Elon Musk's venture focused on brain implants, announced in September last year that it has obtained approval from an independent review panel to commence the recruitment of participants for its inaugural human trial on September 20, 2023. In this six-year research initiative, Neuralink is looking for individuals with paralysis to evaluate its experimental device.
Neuralink is just one of the numerous companies working on the development of a brain-computer interface (BCI) capable of gathering and processing brain signals. However, the extravagant promotion of the company by its billionaire CEO, including commitments to create a comprehensive brain-computer system to augment human capabilities in response to artificial intelligence, has generated doubt and ethical apprehensions among neuroscientists and other professionals in the field.
In the previous year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declined Neuralink's request for expediting human trials. However, in May, the FDA granted Neuralink an investigational device exemption (IDE), permitting the use of their device in clinical studies. The FDA has not revealed the specific details of how the initial concerns were addressed.
Neuralink is actively seeking individuals who have quadriplegia resulting from either vertical spinal cord injuries or ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) as potential study participants. These individuals will undergo a surgical procedure where a brain-computer interface (BCI) is implanted into a specific brain region responsible for controlling movement.
