Elon Musk's Neuralink: Second Human Implant Planned Soon
Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that Neuralink, his brain tech startup, plans to implant its system in a second human patient within the next week or so. The company is also working to fix hardware problems encountered with its first patient.
What is Neuralink?
Neuralink is developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) to help people with paralysis. The system, called Telepathy, uses 64 tiny threads thinner than a human hair to record brain signals with 1,024 electrodes.
Other Companies in the Field
Several companies, including Synchron, Paradromics, and Precision Neuroscience, are also working on BCIs. However, none of these companies, including Neuralink, have received FDA approval to sell their devices yet.
First Human Implant
In January, Neuralink implanted its BCI in 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. While the surgery initially went well, some threads retracted from Arbaugh’s brain in the weeks following the procedure. Only about 15% of the channels in his implant are working. Despite this, Arbaugh uses the BCI to watch videos, read, and play chess and video games for up to 70 hours a week.
Fixing the Issues
Neuralink is making changes to prevent thread retraction and improve implant performance. They plan to sculpt the skull's surface to minimize gaps under the implant and insert some threads deeper into the brain. The FDA will continue to monitor the safety of patients in the study through regular reports.
Future Plans Musk mentioned that Neuralink hopes to implant its device in several more patients this year, but the exact timing and location of these procedures are unclear.
Key Points
Second Implant Soon: Elon Musk announced that Neuralink plans to implant its brain-computer interface in a second human patient within the next week.
First Implant Issues: The first implant had problems with only 15% of the channels working properly, but the patient can still use the device for activities like watching videos and playing games.
Fixing Problems: Neuralink is making changes to the hardware to prevent future issues, such as retraction of threads, and improving the implant's performance for upcoming patients.
FAQs
1. What did Elon Musk announce about Neuralink?
Elon Musk announced that Neuralink plans to implant its brain-computer interface in a second human patient within the next week.
2. What issues did the first implant have?
The first implant had problems, with only 15% of the channels working properly due to some threads retracting from the patient's brain.
3. How is Neuralink addressing the problems with the first implant?
Neuralink is making hardware changes to prevent thread retraction and improve the performance of future implants.
4. What is Neuralink's goal with its brain-computer interface?
Neuralink aims to help people with paralysis by using advanced technology to control movement and improve their quality of life.
5. How is the first patient using the implant despite the issues?
Even with the issues, the first patient uses the implant to watch videos, read, and play games for up to 70 hours a week.
Reference
Comments