Neuralink Completes First Human Implant of Brain-Computer Interface in Clinical Trial

Elon Musk’s neurotechnology startup Neuralink implanted its device into a human for the first time last Sunday, with the billionaire stating in a post on X on Monday that the patient was “recovering well.”

The company is developing a brain implant designed to help severely paralyzed patients control external technology using only neural signals. According toThe company'sBlog Post,NeuralinkAfter receiving approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2023 to conduct the study, patient recruitment for the first-in-human clinical trial began in the fall.

https://neuralink.com/blog/first-clinical-trial-open-for-recruitment/

Elon Musk stated on Monday that Neuralink’s first product is named Telepathy.

If the technology functions properly, patients with severe degenerative diseases (such as ALS) may one day be able to use implants to communicate or access social media by moving a cursor and typing with their thoughts.

“Imagine if Stephen Hawking’s communication speed were faster than that of a fast typist or an auctioneer,” Musk wrote. “That is the goal.”

Human clinical trials mark a step forward for Neuralink on its path to commercialization. Medical device companies must undergo multiple rounds of intensive data safety collection and testing to obtain final approval from the FDA.

Neuralink did not disclose how many human patients would participate in its initial human trials.

As part of the emerging brain-computer interface (BCI) industry, Neuralink is arguably the most well-known company in the field, thanks to the high profile of its founder, Elon Musk, who also serves as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. A brain-computer interface is a system that deciphers brain signals and translates them into commands for external devices. Several other companies, including Synchron, Precision Neuroscience, Paradromics, and Blackrock Neurotech, have also developed systems with similar capabilities.

Paradromics aims to launch its first trial in human patients in the first half of this year.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/18/brain-implant-company-paradromics-one-step-closer-to-fda-approval.html

Precision Neuroscience conducted its first-in-human clinical study last year.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/23/precision-a-neuralink-competitor-conducts-its-first-clinical-study.html

As early as 2021, a patient with Synchron’s brain-computer interface used it to post from the Twitter account of CEO Tom Oxley.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/18/synchron-backed-by-bezos-and-gates-tests-brain-computer-interface.html

It remains unclear which company will be the first to enter the market.

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