Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup, has opened the application for its human trials, with thousands of people expressing interest in getting one of the company’s brain implants in less than two months.
The company, co-founded Elon Musk in 2016, aims to create a device allowing people to communicate telepathically, play games using only their mind, and assist those with severe neurological disorders. All of this is the long-term goal, but first, Neuralink aims to help those with severe neurological disorders allowing them to control devices and communicate using only their brain activity.
Neuralink received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in May to begin human trials using a small device implanted in the brain. The device is the size of a quarter and uses ultra-thin wires, which can only be implanted using a robot. The company has performed over 150 implantation surgeries on animals and now aims to move forward with human trials.
The surgery involves a surgeon cutting out a portion of the patient’s skull, a process that takes a couple of hours, and then a robot inserts the device to replace the removed portion of the skull. Neuralink is currently looking for its first volunteer but plans to operate on 11 people next year, with ambitions to expand to over 22,000 patients 2030.
To be eligible for the trials, a person must have conditions such as quadriplegia, paraplegia, visual impairment or blindness, aphasia, hearing impairment or deafness, and/or major limb amputation, and be over 18 years old. Those who meet these requirements can fill out Neuralink’s Patient Registry Application, undergo a series of screening questions, provide consent for medical records, and complete a questionnaire.
Applicants selected for the trial will be contacted Neuralink or a third party working with the company. The study will last approximately six years and will include follow-up visits and research sessions.
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