Elon Musk’s start-up company Neuralink has planted a wireless chip in a person’s brain for the first time. The paraplegic patient is recovering well after the procedure, says Tesla boss Musk on his own online platform X.
As early as May 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave Neuralink approval to conduct clinical tests on humans. Previously, only tests had been carried out on monkeys, and Neuralink also came into the spotlight with some negative headlines.
Chip implant planted in human brain
The brain implant, which has 1,024 electrodes, was connected to the patient’s brain by a robot using an extremely fine needle. For the clinical study, Neuralink selected a patient with quadriplegia – this is a paraplegia that affects the arms and legs. The goal: to enable people with paralysis in both arms and legs to control devices using only their thoughts.
When people start to take certain actions, the brain emits certain impulses. The chip’s electrodes record these signals – so it should be enough for the patient to just imagine a movement, for example to move a computer cursor.
As Elon Musk himself writes, initial results show promising detection of neuronal activities. But even with successful operations, it will take months before patients can control computers using only their thoughts. The study is designed to last six years.
With interfaces of this type, Elon Musk’s start-up Neuralink wants to be able to cure or compensate for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia and spinal cord injuries in the future.
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