Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, announced in a tweet today that Neuralink is seeking a second participant for a brain transplant trial. In true Musk fashion, the tweet described the implant as a “telepathic cybernetic brain implant that allows you to control your phone and computer with just your thoughts.”
Neuralink is a company developed by Musk with the goal of building a brain-computer interface (BCI). The goal of these BCIs is to allow individuals with conditions such as paralysis to control digital devices using only their thoughts.
Musk did not provide additional details about the trial or clarify whether his account was serious, and Neuralink did not post information about it on social media platforms. However, the company’s latest PRIME study update invites people to apply to be test subjects in the clinical trial.
PRIME, which stands for “Pilot Research Implant for Medical Experiment,” is a clinical trial by Neuralink that aims to evaluate the safety and initial functionality of the N1 chip, a fully implantable wireless BCI device. The chip is highly invasive, with thousands of tiny threads penetrating the brain.
Neuralink has faced controversy in the past. Experts say the company’s animal testing has resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand animals, something Musk has denied, and Neuralink has failed to provide documentation related to the calibration and maintenance of its “vital sign monitors.” ”
Last January, Neuralink implanted a device into the brain of its first patient, Noland Arbaugh. Arbaugh, who was paralyzed from the shoulders down after a diving accident in 2016, says he has experienced significant progress using the device.
Now he can play video games, browse the Internet, and control the computer cursor on his laptop using just his thoughts. According to Neuralink, Arbaugh quickly surpassed the world record for cursor control speed after surgery.
Last week, Neuralink revealed that the implant’s tiny wires inside the first patient’s brain had moved out of position in its first human trial, resulting in fewer electrodes measuring brain signals. The company restored the implant’s functionality through tweaks, including improving the algorithm to increase sensitivity.
To respond to these risks, new alternatives are emerging from competitors. Companies like Precision Neuroscience opt for a safer, less invasive approach by coating the brain in a kind of electrical blanket to register activity.
Eligibility criteria for the Neuralink trial include individuals 18 years of age or older in the United States or Canada with quadriplegia, paraplegia, vision loss, hearing loss, inability to speak, and/or major limb amputation (above or below the elbow). and/or knees), you may agree. Potential participants can apply by visiting Neuralink’s patient registry.
Editor: Andrew Hayward
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