Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of brain-chip startup Neuralink, announced on social media platform X that the company has successfully implanted its brain-chip in the first human patient on Sunday, with the patient reportedly recovering well.
In his post on Monday, Musk shared that the initial results of the implant show promising neuron spike detection. Neuron spikes refer to activity by neurons, which are cells that utilise electrical and chemical signals to transmit information within the brain and throughout the body, as described by the National Institute of Health.
Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration granted Neuralink clearance to conduct its first trial on humans, marking a significant milestone in the startup’s efforts to assist patients in overcoming paralysis and various neurological conditions.
Neuralink received approval for recruitment for the human trial in September, with the study utilising a robot to surgically implant a brain-computer interface (BCI) in a region of the brain responsible for controlling movement intentions. The initial objective of the trial is to enable individuals to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.
According to Neuralink, the implants’ “ultra-fine” threads facilitate the transmission of signals within participants’ brains.
Elon Musk further disclosed that the first product from Neuralink will be named Telepathy, indicating the company’s vision for enabling direct communication between individuals through brain-computer interfaces.
The ongoing PRIME Study conducted by Neuralink serves as a trial for its wireless brain-computer interface, aimed at evaluating the safety of the implant and surgical robot. As of now, Neuralink has not provided further details about the programme.