Neuralink gets a green light for a second brain implant in humans
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Elon Musk's Neuralink gets approval for a second human brain implant after overcoming initial problems.
Elon Musk has achieved a milestone with his company Neuralink by implanting his brain chip, Telepathy, into a human. This implant was the company's first in a human patient, and now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized a second implant in another patient, giving a major endorsement to the initiative.
The news comes on the heels of the controversy that arose in early May with the first implant in Noland Arbaugh. Weeks after the surgery, Neuralink reported that some of the device's connecting wires had retracted from the patient's brain, affecting the chip's speed and effectiveness. To fix this problem, the company proposed embedding some wires deeper into the brain, a move that has been approved by the FDA.
In a statement, Neuralink explained Noland's experience with the implant. Before the chip, Noland used a stylus held in his mouth to interact with his tablet, assisted by a caregiver. After surgery, he was able to control his laptop with his mind from different positions, play video games, stream, and surf the Internet.
Despite initial improvements, retraction of the wires reduced the number of effective electrodes, slowing the data transmission rate. Neuralink responded by adjusting the recording algorithm to improve sensitivity to neural signals, thus optimizing the user interface. Although the removal of the chip was not considered, Noland experienced emotional and psychological problems due to the loss of functionality. However, with the improvements made, he regained some of the lost functionality.
According to The Wall Street Journal, one of the solutions approved by the FDA involves implanting the wires 8 millimeters deep into the motor cortex of the brain, instead of the 3 to 5 millimeters used in the first implant. Neuralink plans to perform this second insertion this June.
On May 17, Elon Musk announced that Neuralink is accepting applications for the second trial participant. "This is our cybernetic brain implant Telepathy, which allows you to control your cell phone and computer just by thinking," Musk confirmed, noting the FDA approval and the continuation of the project.
References
Elon Musk tiene luz verde para poner sus chips cerebrales Neuralink en un segundo paciente | 20 bits | Retrieved May 21th, 2024 from: https://www.20minutos.es/tecnologia/actualidad/elon-musk-tiene-luz-verde-poner-chip-cerebral-neuralink-segundo-paciente-5263940/
Neuralink ya busca candidatos para implantar un segundo chip cerebral | La Vanguardia | May 20th, 2024 from: https://www.lavanguardia.com/andro4all/ciencia/neuralink-ya-busca-candidatos-para-implantar-un-segundo-chip-cerebral
Elon Musk podrá seguir implantando su chip neuronal: Neuralink recibe el visto bueno de las autoridades | Omicron- El Español | Retrieved May 20th, 2024 from: https://www.elespanol.com/omicrono/tecnologia/20240520/elon-musk-podra-seguir-implantando-chip-neuronal-neuralink-recibe-visto-bueno-autoridades/856664689_0.html
Neuralink va a incrustar los cables a mayor profundidad en el cerebro de su próximo paciente para evitar los problemas que tuvo el primero | Businesss Insider | Retrieved May 22th, 2024 from: https://www.businessinsider.es/neuralink-implantara-cables-profundos-cerebro-siguiente-paciente-1387394
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