APPLICATION

Neuralink, the neurotechnology company, has received FDA approval for its first human clinical trials. Musk will personally implant in the future.

share
Neuralink, the neurotechnology company, has received FDA approval for its first human clinical trials. Musk will personally implant in the future.

Table of Contents

Neuralink Receives FDA Approval for First Human Clinical Trials

The neural technology startup Neuralink, co-founded by Tesla's Elon Musk, announced on Thursday that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct its first human clinical trials.

The company is focused on developing a brain implant called Link, designed to assist severely paralyzed patients in controlling external tech products through neural signals. This technological breakthrough could potentially allow patients with severe degenerative diseases like ALS to control cursor movement and typing through their thoughts, enabling them to communicate with their loved ones once again.

The Neuralink team made progress with the FDA through close collaboration. The company tweeted, "This is the incredible result of the close collaboration between the Neuralink team and the FDA, representing an important first step towards potentially helping many people in the future." However, the scope of the approved trials and patient recruitment for clinical trials have not been disclosed yet.

Neuralink Moves Closer to Commercialization in Neural Technology Market

As part of the emerging brain-computer interface (BCI) industry, Neuralink has taken a step closer to commercialization in the market after receiving FDA approval for human research.

Scientists have been researching BCI technology for years, and several companies have developed systems with the potential to enter the market. However, obtaining FDA approval for commercial medical devices is challenging and requires companies to successfully complete several rounds of rigorous testing and secure data collection. While the specific scope of Neuralink's approved research is unclear, this breakthrough brings the company closer to its goal of bringing its technology to the market.

Neuralink's BCI Technology to Implement Invasive Brain Surgery

Neuralink's BCI technology will require patients to undergo invasive brain surgery. The system revolves around a small circular implant called Link, which processes and translates neural signals. Link is connected to a series of thin, flexible threads that are directly inserted into brain tissue to detect neural signals. Patients of Neuralink will learn how to control devices through the Neuralink app.

According to the company's website, patients will be able to connect via Bluetooth to control external cursors and keyboards. Despite recent challenges faced by Neuralink, including investigations by the U.S. Department of Transportation and criticism from animal rights organizations, FDA approval for human research marks a significant breakthrough for the company. Neuralink's founder Musk stated that besides aiding paralyzed patients, BCI technology holds the potential to treat blindness, mental illnesses, and has applications for potential healthy populations.

He even claimed that he would personally receive a Neuralink implant in the future.