Elon Musk-led company Neuralink has installed its first brain implant into a human, as shared by Musk this week.
Musk shared the news on X on Monday, noting that the first human has received a brain implant from Neuralink, having taken place on Sunday. He also added that the initial results show promising neuron spike detection, after plans for the first human clinical trial were announced a little under six months ago.
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 announced that it was recruiting for its first human clinical trials in September, noting that people with either quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could be eligible for the studies. Candidates must also be over 22 and have a consistent and reliable caregiver, in addition to being at least one year post-injury.
Those with the following conditions are not eligible for the study:
- Patients with an active implanted device (pacemaker, deep brain stimulator (DBS), etc.)
- Individuals who have a history of seizures
- Persons who require MRIs for an ongoing medical condition
- Persons who are receiving transcranial magnetic
Dubbed the PRIME Trial (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface,” Neuralink is operating the clinical study under an investigational device exemption (IDE) from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved last May. The trial is also being overseen by an independent institutional review board.
According to Neuralink, the PRIME trial is a “groundbreaking investigational medical device trial for our fully-implantable, wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) – [which] aims to evaluate the safety of our implant (N1) and surgical robot (R1) and assess the initial functionality of our BCI for enabling people with paralysis to control external devices with their thoughts.”
The company also says its initial goal for the brain-computer interface (BCI) is to allow people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink is working on a chip that will solve blindness
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.
