The subject is recovering well after surgery
Elon Musk says his company Neuralink has implanted the first brain chip in a person. The billionaire's startup will study the functionality of the interface, which, according to him, allows paralyzed people to control devices using their thoughts.
Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Neuralink, announced on Monday on the social network Twitter/X that the first person received implanted a brain chip from his startup on Sunday and is recovering well from the procedure.
As The Guardian writes, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year gave Musk's company permission to conduct the first trial of its implant in humans.
“Initial results show promise in detecting neural bursts,” added Elon Musk.
Spiring is the activity of neurons, which the National Institutes of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to transmit information throughout the brain and body. explains The Guardian.
The startup's main research is testing a wireless brain-computer interface to evaluate the safety of the implant and surgical robot.
The study will evaluate the functionality of an interface that allows people with quadriplegia, or paralysis of all four limbs, to control devices with their thoughts, according to the company's website.
Reuters reported earlier this month that Neuralink was fined for violating US Department of Transportation (DoT) regulations regarding the movement of hazardous materials.
During inspections of the company's facilities in Texas and California in February 2023, U.S. Department of Transportation investigators discovered that the company had not registered itself as a carrier of hazardous materials, according to agency reports. They also found improper packaging of hazardous waste, including the flammable liquid xylene. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, xylene can cause headaches, dizziness, confusion, loss of muscle coordination and even death.
Neuralink received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration last year ( FDA) to conduct the company's first human trial of the implant, marking a major milestone for the startup. In June, Reuters reported that the company was valued at $5 billion based on private exchange trading.
Neuralink announced it was testing the implant in September. In the study, a robot developed by the company will surgically place “ultra-thin” implant threads that help transmit signals to participants' brains, the company said.