Elon Musk’s Neuralink faces set back

May 09, 2024 08:00 AM AEST | By Team Kalkine Media

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Elon Musk's startup Neuralink has faced a major setback after its first in-human brain implant experienced a malfunction in the weeks following the procedure. Neuralink has built a brain-computer interface or BCI that could help patients with paralysis, enabling them to control external technologies using their thoughts alone. In January, Neuralink achieved a significant milestone by implanting its device, known as the Link, into a 29-year-old patient named Noland Arbaugh. This marked a pivotal step for the start up in testing the safety and efficacy of its technology. The Link comprises 1,024 electrodes spread across 64 ultra-thin "threads," each finer than a human hair, allowing it to record neural signals directly from the brain. However, in a blog post on Wednesday, Neuralink revealed that several threads had retracted from Arbaugh's brain in the weeks following the implantation. This led to a reduction in the number of effective electrodes, impacting the system's speed and accuracy in recording neural signals. Following this the start up has modified its recording algorithm, improved the user interface, and refined techniques for translating neural signals into precise cursor movements. While there were considerations to remove the implant, Neuralink determined that it didn't pose a direct risk to the patient’s safety. Arbaugh has been using Neuralink's BCI system extensively, spending up to 8 hours a day during the week and over 10 hours a day on weekends connected to the device. He described the experience as a "luxury overload" and emphasized how it has facilitated his reconnection with the world. Neuralink still faces rigorous testing and regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before its technology can be commercialized.

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