Science Fiction Turned Reality With First Human Neuralink Implant

(DailyDig.com) – During his presentation in December 2022, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of the neurotechnology business Neuralink said that his company is shortly requesting approval to test its brain implant in humans.

In September 2023, the FDA granted permission to the company to conduct the first human implant study. The company said that it was looking for people who had suffered a cervical spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease), or another kind of quadriplegia.

Many organizations, like Musk’s Neuralink, are attempting to connect brains to computers for various purposes, such as overcoming brain injuries, treating brain illnesses, and more.

Researchers implant the invention, roughly the size of a big coin, in the skull using very thin wires that run straight into the brain to serve as an interface between the brain and computer. Animal testing for this purpose started in September. Musk is hopeful that Neuralink will allow paralyzed individuals to use a smartphone app that deciphers the purpose of a brain impulse to control external equipment.

Musk said that this might revive full-body mobility in the future. Just picture Stephen Hawking with this ability to quickly communicate, he remarked.

In September, the company made public its plans to implant the Neuralink device in the region of the brain that controls movement as part of their testing program. A neuron is a kind of brain cell that uses chemical and electrical impulses to communicate with other neurons and the rest of the body. When this cell is active, it causes a spike.

As a watershed moment for the preliminary brain medical gadget, Musk announced on January 28 that the first Neuralink operation had taken place. On January 29, he announced that the first patient to get the hardware implant is doing well and exhibiting encouraging early outcomes.

One day, the startup’s aim is to make it possible for paralyzed people to use their thoughts to operate a computer or utilize a keyboard. Musk dubbed the first Neuralink offering “Telepathy.”