“We are pleased to announce that we have received approval from the independent institutional review board and our first hospital to begin recruitment for our first-in-human clinical trial,” he revealed. Neuralink, the brain implant company founded by billionaire Elon Muskin his web page.
The company announced in a statement that it has received approval from an independent verification board and a hospital to carry out its first clinical trial with a chip that is implanted in the human brain. The company’s goal is to allow people with paralysis to control devices with their thoughts.
The study, called ‘Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface’ (PRIME), has developed an interface wireless brain-computer (BCI) that could change the lives of people affected with paralysis. In this clinical trial, the safety of the implant, the surgical robot, and the initial functionality of the BCI will be evaluated to allow people with paralysis to control external devices with their thoughts.
According to Neuralink, the objective in the first instance is to recruit participants who suffer from “quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury oeamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)” and that they are at least 22 years old, as well as a trusted caregiver. Those chosen will be subjected to an intensive program that will last approximately 6 years. The implant process will be carried out by a robot, which will place ultra-thin and flexible threads in a brain region that controls the intention of movement, allowing the implant to record and transmit signals wirelessly to an application that decodes the intention of movement.
However, the path to this point has not been without challenges. In November last year, Musk predicted the company would be ready to conduct trials within six months, but the FDA initially rejected his proposal in March before finally approving it in May. Additionally, in December 2022, Reuters reported that Neuralink was under federal investigation for alleged animal rights violations and for speeding up testing in a way that caused unnecessary suffering and deaths.
These days, the Committee of Physicians for Responsible Medicinea non-profit organization based in Washington, has denounced the magnate to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the agonizing death of twelve primates due to these implants. On the other hand, the Reuters agency reported that the animals harmed by the experiment were a total of about 1,500 sheep, pigs and monkeys. This information is based on the testimonies of around twenty former workers who accused Neuralink of speeding up the investigations, producing “unnecessary suffering and death.
Also, as revealed by CNBC, in February there were reports that the company was also being investigated by the Department of Transportation for allegedly handling and transporting contaminated hardware in an unsafe manner. Despite these obstacles, Neuralink is moving towards a future in which people with disabilities can regain greater independence and control over their lives through the chip installed in the brain.
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