(Reuters) – Neuralink has successfully implanted in a second patient its device designed to give paralyzed patients the ability to use digital devices by thinking alone, according to the startup’s owner Elon Musk. Moreover, the successful implantation of the Neuralink brain chip in the second trial patient marks a significant milestone. #NeuralinkBrainChip
Neuralink is in the process of testing its device, which is intended to help people with spinal cord injuries. The device has allowed the first patient to play video games, browse the internet, post on social media and move a cursor on his laptop.
During a podcast, Musk provided limited details about the second participant. The person has a spinal cord injury similar to the first patient. Musk mentioned that 400 of the implant’s electrodes are functioning in the second patient. Neuralink’s website states that its implant uses 1,024 electrodes.
“I don’t want to jinx it but it seems to have gone extremely well with the second implant,” Musk told podcast host Lex Fridman. “There’s a lot of signal, a lot of electrodes. It’s working very well.”
Musk did not disclose when Neuralink performed the second patient’s surgery. Musk said he expects Neuralink to provide the implants to eight more patients this year as part of its clinical trials.
The first patient, Noland Arbaugh, was interviewed on the podcast with three Neuralink executives. They detailed how the implant and robot-led surgery work. #NeuralinkBrainChip
Furthermore, the Neuralink brain chip aims to revolutionize how we understand and treat brain-related conditions. As trials progress, the future of brain-computer interfaces looks promising.
