Billionaire Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup, Neuralink, announced its recent development in paralysis research.
It announced that an independent review board has granted it approval to start enrolling for the first human trial of its brain implant.
Neuralink implant
The brain implant is designed for patients with paralysis.
The study will target individuals experiencing paralysis due to cervical spinal cord injuries or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
However, the exact number of test subjects in the trial was not shared.
Nevertheless, the entire study is expected to span for around six years.
However, Neuralink will employ a robot to perform the surgical placement of a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in the brain.
Additionally, the implant will be placed in the region responsible for managing the intention to move.
The initial goal of this experiment is to empower individuals to operate computers solely through their thoughts.
Initially, Neuralink had aimed to secure approval to implant its devices in ten patients.
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Approval and Trials
However, it engaged in negotiations with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the number of patients.
Nevertheless, this was following the FDA’s safety concerns. The final number of patients approved by the FDA remains classified.
Elon Musk envisions grand ambitions for Neuralink, with plans to streamline the surgical insertion of its chip devices.
This is meant to address conditions such as obesity, autism, depression, and schizophrenia.
In May 2023, Neuralink announced FDA approval for its first-in-human clinical trial, even as it was already facing federal testing regarding its handling of animal testing.
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Experts caution that even if the BCI device proves safe for human use, it could still take over a decade for the startup to obtain the commercial go-ahead for its technology.
This achievement comes amid Musk’s controversy over proposals for social media site X to start paying a standard user fee.
The CEO just held a live stream with the Israeli Prime Minister where he addressed concerns of anti-Semitism on X, previously Twitter.
