Elon Musk’s Neuralink opens form for human testing

Recently, Elon Musk’s brain chip company Neuralink received corporate approval to begin clinical trials in humans. The company is launching this experiment called “”Main Study“, with its main goal Introduce precise, robotically implanted brain-computer interfaces for paralyzed people.

Approval for human experiments was granted by an independent hospital institutional review board. The agency that oversees biomedical research involving human subjects. This green light is undoubtedly a major milestone for the Elon Musk-led company and the broader BCI tech scene in particular.

Neuralink had received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to proceed with human trials, but now the trials will actually begin as the company has even opened a form to receive applications from stroke patients who want to participate.

The company’s goal is to enable people to control their computer cursors or keyboards with just their thoughts. To guarantee the safety and functionality of the implant, the startup developed a A series of tests at home and in clinic over an 18-month period.

The company is actively building a registry, focusing primarily on potential participants. Quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injuries or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

To be considered, applicants must be at least 22 years old. Those selected for the trial will undergo nine combination home and in-person clinical visits, and the entire study is expected to last six years.

The implant is virtually invisible and consists of 1,024 electrodes spread across 64 ultra-thin wires. During the test, the robotic surgeon will safely insert the implant into the area of ​​the brain that controls movement intention. The device is designed to wirelessly transmit the brain’s electrical activity to an external program, which then decodes movement signals.

Neuralink is not alone in the race to commercialize BCI technology. Rival company Synchron introduced Implant’s effectiveness in helping patients with cerebral palsy do online banking and shopping at home. In addition, two former employees of Musk’s company also engaged in independent research at BCI.

Motif Neurotech professor and CEO Jacob Robinson says the 18-month trial period proposed by Elon Musk’s company is longer than most similar clinical trials. He sees this as a bullish indicator for the technology’s long-term functional prospects.

Did you like the content? So follow all the news about science and technology at TecMundo and get the opportunity to learn what a beauty chip is and what its health risks are.