Elon Musk’s brain implant company, Neuralink, has received FDA approval to start human trials for its groundbreaking brain-computer interface. In a tweet announcement, no details were given about the timeline for the clinical trials or recruitment. Neuralink aims to have the human nervous system communicate with computers using the Neuralink N1 implant, which is slightly larger than a quarter. The device replaces a small portion of the human skull and is inserted into the brain using 64 needle probes, allowing 1,024 channels of two-way communication between the brain and a computer chip. The plan is to initially use the device with quadriplegic patients to restore their vision and allow them to control computers and devices. Once clinical trials are conducted, Neuralink aims to make the device available to the public. The main concern is the safe insertion of the implant, but Neuralink has created a robot for this purpose. Other companies, such as Blackrock Neurotech, have successfully inserted implants into patients, and anyone in the United States over 18 and with specific neurological conditions can join Neuralink’s patient registry.
Human trials approved for Elon Musk’s revolutionary brain-computer interface.
