Neuralink wireless brain chip implant promising
Elon Musk’s company Neuralink has successfully implanted its wireless brain chip in a human for the first time, detecting promising neuron spikes. The patient is recovering well, and the company aims to connect human brains to computers, addressing complex neurological conditions.
Neuralink received FDA approval in May 2023 for testing the chip on humans, and a six-year study is under progress, using a robot to surgically place 64 flexible threads on a brain region controlling movement intention.
Musk informed that Neuralink’s first product, called Telepathy, would enable device control through thought, with initial users being those who lost limb usage.
While Elon Musk’s involvement enhances Neuralink’s profile, competitors with decades-long track records pose competition. Utah-based Blackrock Neurotech, implanting brain-computer interfaces since 2004, is among its rivals.
Precision Neuroscience, founded by a Neuralink co-founder, focuses on helping people with paralysis. Its implant, resembling a thin tape on the brain’s surface, uses a “cranial micro-slit” for a simpler procedure. Existing devices, shown in recent US studies, monitor brain activity during speech attempts, decoding signals to help in communication. The field sees advancements from multiple players addressing neurological challenges through brain-machine interfaces.