Neuralink to test brain implant on second patient
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The Food and Drug Administration has cleared Neuralink to implant its brain chip in a second patient after the company reportedly outlined fixes to an electrode problem that limited the device's functionality in the first human test subject.
Why it matters: It's another step forward for brain-computer interface devices that companies hope will someday treat neurological disorders.
Driving the news: Neuralink, which is owned by Elon Musk, said it is seeking applications for another patient with quadriplegia to test if the device can allow a person to do tasks like control a phone and computer.
- It outlined fixes that included embedding some of the device's wiring deeper into the brain, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a document and a person familiar with the company.
The first patient, Noland Arbaugh, has meanwhile recounted his experiences with the device, which is about the size of a quarter.
- Arbaugh, 30, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that the device has given him the ability to have nearly full control over a computer using only his thoughts.
- But within a month of his surgery, many of the hairlike threads from the device that are implanted in his brain had come loose, rendering it impossible to read most electrical signals used to translate his thoughts into actions.
- The 15% of the threads that remained in place eventually stabilized, and software changes helped him regain many of the device's capabilities, which he has since demonstrated in livestreams, the WSJ reported.
What's next: Neuralink rival Synchron is preparing a large-scale clinical trial with an eye toward seeking commercial approval of its implant.
- Mass General Brigham has also launched a collaborative effort with stakeholders and the FDA to accelerate the development of the implanted devices.
