Musk: Patients implanted with Neuralink brain chips are "recovering well"

Author: Tom Mitchelhill, Cointelegraph; Compiler: Deng Tong, Golden Finance

Neuralink owner Elon Musk said that he was the first person to be implanted with Neuralink brain-computer device of human patients "recovering well."

In an X post on January 29, Musk said the patient successfully received the implant on Sunday, January 28. Preliminary results show "promising neuronal spike detection," he added.

Neuralink’s brain implants are designed to help people with severe injuries or paralysis interact with their phones or computers solely through their thoughts, Musk said, noting that Neuralink’s first product is called for Telepathy.

“Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a typist or an auctioneer. That’s the goal.”

Neuralink first began accepting applications for human clinical trials last September, after the company received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its PRIME (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface) study in May 2023, details Sourced from a blog post published by the company on September 19.

The initial goal of PRIME research is to create a successful brain-computer interface (BCI) that would enable people to "control a computer cursor or keyboard just by thinking."

The brain-computer interface is achieved by cutting a hole in the patient's skull and using a surgical robot to implant the Neuralink device - which is composed of "ultra-fine and flexible wires" - which is implanted into Areas of the brain that control motor intention.

Once the device is implanted, it acts as a recording and transmission device, wirelessly transmitting data to an app that then decodes the patient's thoughts into data on the device.

Neuralink's safety procedures have come under criticism from regulators in recent months, with four U.S. lawmakers asking the SEC to investigate Elon Musk's alleged claims about the safety of Neuralink implants False claims.

In a now-deleted post on September 10, Musk said that "no monkeys have died from Neaurlink implants." Lawmakers insist this was a deliberate misrepresentation designed to mislead investors.

At least 12 baby monkeys were euthanized after developing debilitating health problems directly related to Neuralink implants, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine wrote in a Sept. 20 letter to the SEC Enforcement Division. .