The neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk will soon begin recruiting patients in which to test the safety and efficacy of its implantable brain chip in helping people control a computer cursor or keyboard with their thoughts.
Elon Musk, the founder of Neuralink, has received approval for the company’s first human trial of its brain chip. The neurotechnology company announced on Tuesday that it has received approval to begin recruiting patients for testing the brain implant in a six-year study focused on paralysis patients.
According to Reuters, the clinical trial for a brain implant may include patients who are paralyzed due to a neck injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study will test the safety and efficacy of the implant in helping people control a computer cursor or keyboard with their thoughts. To do this, the researchers will use a robot to surgically place the implant in a part of the brain that controls movement.
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The study will take around six years to complete, and the researchers have not yet disclosed how many people will be enrolled. However, the company had previously aimed to secure approval for implanting its device in 10 patients. But negotiations between the company and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) led to a reduction in the proposed number of patients, in response to safety concerns raised by the FDA, according to current and former employees. The exact number of patients approved by the FDA remains undisclosed.
Earlier, in May, the company announced that it had received FDA approval for its first-in-human clinical trial, but it was already under federal investigation for its handling of animal testing.
Even if the BCI device is proven to be safe for human use, it could still take more than a decade for the startup to get approval to sell it commercially, according to experts.
For the unfamiliar, Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk in 2016. The company is focused on developing an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) that can translate thoughts into actions. (Reuters)