Tested In Monkeys
The study will use a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move. The implants, which have already been tested in monkeys, will interpret signals produced in the brain. The relevant information will then be relayed to devices via Bluetooth.
At his 2020 presentation, Musk unveiled a new implant design. “It was complex, and you still wouldn’t look quite normal; you’d have something behind your ear,” he said of the old design. “So we simplified this to something that’s about the size of a large coin, and it goes inside the skull.”
Fewer Than 10 Study Participants
It is not known how many patients the FDA ultimately approved. The company had previously hoped to get possible implantation of its device in 10 patients. It later negotiated with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a smaller number of patients after safety concerns, current and former employees told Reuters.
More Than A Decade Until Use In Practice
As Reuters reports, right now those with paralysis due to cervical injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis can qualify for the trial. It will take about six years to complete. Even if the BCI device proves safe for human use, experts say it would still potentially take more than a decade for the startup to secure approval for commercial use.
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Elon Musk, however, has big ambitions for Neuralink. He says his startup would facilitate rapid surgical deployments of its implants to treat problems such as obesity, autism, depression, and schizophrenia.
Musk Isn’t The Only One
The billionaire entrepreneur isn’t the only one in the industry using the BCI in research. In 2021, Precision Neuroscience, a competitor based in the United States, was founded. With the goal of helping patients with paralysis operate digital devices by decoding their neural signals. In June 2023, the company conducted its first clinical trial in a human.
In seconds, a real-time, high-resolution representation of the patient’s brain activity washed across a screen. According to Precision, the system provided the highest resolution image of human thought to date, CNBC reported.
Several companies, including Synchron, Paradromics, and Blackrock Neurotech, have also developed devices with this capability.
