Elon Musk’s Neuralink has successfully implanted a brain chip in its first human patient.
Neuralink wireless brain chip reading equipment – photo from the presentation in 2020. Image credit: Steve Jurvetson via Flickr, CC BY 2.0
According to limited information, the patient who underwent this procedure is recovering well. Musk was optimistic about the initial results showing promising detection of neuron activity, so-called neuron spikes – signals used by cells to transmit information within the brain and to the body.
Neuralink had obtained clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year for its first human trial, a significant step in the company’s mission to address paralysis and various neurological conditions.
The trial, approved for recruitment in September, involves using a robot to surgically implant a brain-computer interface (BCI) in a brain region controlling the intention to move. Neuralink aims to empower individuals to operate a computer cursor or keyboard through their thoughts alone.
The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well.
Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2024
Neuralink has described its implants as featuring “ultra-fine” threads that facilitate signal transmission within participants’ brains. Elon Musk, in a separate post on X, announced that the inaugural product from Neuralink would be named Telepathy.
The startup’s PRIME Study serves as a trial for its wireless brain-computer interface, aiming to assess both the safety of the implant and the accompanying surgical robot.
Written by Alius Noreika