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Neuralink, the brain implant startup of Elon Musk‘s, has received approval from an independent review board to begin recruiting patients for its first human trial. The company is looking for individuals with paralysis to participate in a six-year research study and test its brain chip.
Neuralink is developing a brain-machine interface to connect humans and machines by implanting devices in their brains, allowing them to interact with computers using the brain activity. With its brain-implant chip, the company aims to restore motor function for those with paralysis and treat brain diseases like Alzheimer‘s, Parkinson‘s, and dementia through brain-machine interface while also integrating artificial intelligence.
The company was denied fast-track approval for human trials last year. However, this year, in May, the FDA granted an investigational device exemption (IDE) for clinical studies. Now, months later, Neuralink has started taking in applications for human trials.
Neuralink is currently looking for patients who suffer from quadriplegia due to a vertical spinal cord injury or ALS. The study aims to evaluate the safety and functionality of the technology, said the company in a press statement. The company’s plan is to implant a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) in a specific region of the brain that controls movement. The goal of the study is to enable participants to control a computer cursor or a keyboard by using their thoughts alone.
So far, animals have been the test subjects. A monkey with Neuralink’s brain-computer interface was shown playing ping pong with its brain, while another learned to type messages and charge wirelessly. Then, a pig was even shown running on a treadmill.
While the showcases have been successful, the insider reports paint a different picture. The animals’ trials have come under scrutiny due to allegations of unnecessary suffering caused during the trials. Former employees have described the testing as “hack jobs,” describing an instance when the device was implanted in the wrong position in pigs, leading to their euthanasia. These allegations have triggered multiple investigations, including inquiries from the Department of Agriculture into animal abuse and from the Department of Transportation over the mishandling of hazardous materials across state lines.
Neuralink is developing a brain-machine interface to connect humans and machines by implanting devices in their brains, allowing them to interact with computers using the brain activity. With its brain-implant chip, the company aims to restore motor function for those with paralysis and treat brain diseases like Alzheimer‘s, Parkinson‘s, and dementia through brain-machine interface while also integrating artificial intelligence.
The company was denied fast-track approval for human trials last year. However, this year, in May, the FDA granted an investigational device exemption (IDE) for clinical studies. Now, months later, Neuralink has started taking in applications for human trials.
Neuralink is currently looking for patients who suffer from quadriplegia due to a vertical spinal cord injury or ALS. The study aims to evaluate the safety and functionality of the technology, said the company in a press statement. The company’s plan is to implant a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) in a specific region of the brain that controls movement. The goal of the study is to enable participants to control a computer cursor or a keyboard by using their thoughts alone.
So far, animals have been the test subjects. A monkey with Neuralink’s brain-computer interface was shown playing ping pong with its brain, while another learned to type messages and charge wirelessly. Then, a pig was even shown running on a treadmill.
While the showcases have been successful, the insider reports paint a different picture. The animals’ trials have come under scrutiny due to allegations of unnecessary suffering caused during the trials. Former employees have described the testing as “hack jobs,” describing an instance when the device was implanted in the wrong position in pigs, leading to their euthanasia. These allegations have triggered multiple investigations, including inquiries from the Department of Agriculture into animal abuse and from the Department of Transportation over the mishandling of hazardous materials across state lines.
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