Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain implant company, admitted to encountering issues with their brain chip after implanting it into a human for the first time in January. Following the surgery, some electrodes detached from the patient’s brain, as revealed in a recent blog post, as reported by Spiegel.
The company addressed the problem through software adjustments, although it only became public knowledge after the “Wall Street Journal” inquired about it.
Neuralink’s implant, designed to enable smartphone control through thoughts and other technologies, received approval for a clinical study involving humans in May 2023, following tests on monkeys. Featuring 1024 electrodes, the implant is connected to the brain by a robot during surgery.
The technology allows for cursor control on a computer through imagined movements, benefiting patients with conditions like tetraplegia. Despite initial setbacks, Neuralink improved the system’s performance post-adjustment.
While Neuralink did not disclose reasons for the electrode detachment, ongoing research in brain-computer interfaces holds promise for aiding neurological disorders, although widespread availability remains a distant prospect.
