Neuralink to Begin Testing Brain Implant to Aid Paralysis Patients
(Reuters) – Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s brain chip startup Neuralink said on Tuesday it had received approval from an independent review board to begin recruiting for the first human trial of its brain implant for stroke patients.
Those with paralysis caused by cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may be eligible for the trial, it said, but did not disclose how many participants would participate in the study, which will take about six years.
The research uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in the area of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuralink said, adding that its initial goal is to allow people to control a computer cursor or keyboard. use their thoughts alone.
The company, which had previously hoped to be approved to implant its device in 10 patients, negotiated a smaller number of patients with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after the agency raised safety concerns, according to current and former employees. It is not known how many patients were ultimately approved by the FDA.
Musk has big goals for Neuralink, saying it would facilitate rapid surgery of its chip devices to treat diseases like obesity, autism, depression and schizophrenia.
In May, the company said it had received approval from the FDA for its first human clinical trial, after it was already under federal scrutiny over its handling of animal testing.
Even if the BCI device turns out to be safe for human use, according to experts, it would still take more than a decade before the startup gets a commercial license for it.
