The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed billionaire Elon Musk to implant his Neuralink in a second person. This permission grew from a solution proposed by Elon Musk to the problem that occurred with his first patient.
Earlier this month Neuralink reported that the problem with the first patient occurred because the implant fell out of place. According to Jornal Wall Street, as a solution to this problem, Neuralink intends to embed some of its device’s wires deeper into the brain. The sources also add that Neuralink did not consider the risk sufficient to warrant reformulation.
Neuralink plans to implement its device in a second patient in June and aims to reach a total of 10 patients this year. With this, the company aims to help people with full-body paralysis control external technology using only their thoughts.
The report says that more than 1000 quadriplegics have already signed up to its patient list. In addition, the company also intends to submit requests to regulators in Canada and Britain to begin similar tests in the coming months.
Earlier this year, Neuralink introduced 29-year-old Noland Alburg as its first patient to receive the Brain Chip. The company posted a video on the social media X, showing that the patient was paralyzed after an accident in 2016, monitoring some activities with his brain. In May, the company reported that several of the implant’s wires had retracted from the patient’s brain, causing the implant to lose some of its functionality.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the FDA decided not to discuss the matter.
The company has been at the forefront of brain implant production and has received FDA approval since May of last year. Registration for human trials began in September 2023. Those who have interest in participating in this program can register via the company’s website.
