Neuralink's Brain Chip Wires Stable in 1st Patient, Says Company

The device uses tiny wires, thinner than a human hair, to capture signals from the brain and translate those into actions, such as moving a mouse cursor on a computer screen.

Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain chip company has recently announced that the tiny wires of Neuralink's brain chip implant used in the first participant of a trial run have become "more or less very stable," a company executive said on Wednesday.

Neuralink is testing its implant to give paralyzed patients the ability to use digital devices by thinking alone. 

The device uses tiny wires, thinner than a human hair, to capture signals from the brain and translate those into actions, such as moving a mouse cursor on a computer screen.

Patient Stability & Implant Details

In May, Neuralink reported that some of the tiny wires inside the brain of Noland Arbaugh, who is paralyzed from the shoulders down due to a 2016 diving accident, had pulled out of position. However, the situation has since improved.

"Once you do the brain surgery, it takes some time for the tissues to come in and anchor the threads in place, and once that happens, everything has been stable," said Neuralink executive Dongjin Seo.

So far, Arbaugh, based in Arizona, is the only patient to have received the implant. However, Musk mentioned plans to increase the number of participants to the high single digits this year.

Safety Measures & Future Plans

The company is now implementing risk mitigation measures such as skull sculpting and reducing carbon dioxide concentration in the blood to normal levels in patients, according to Neuralink executives during a live stream on social media platform X.

"In upcoming implants, we plan to sculpt the surface of the skull very intentionally to minimize the gap under the implant... that will put it closer to the brain and eliminate some of the tension on the threads," explained Matthew MacDougall, Neuralink's head of neurosurgery.

Musk assured during the live stream that the device does not harm the brain. The US FDA initially raised safety concerns but ultimately granted the company approval last year to begin human trials.

So far, the device has allowed Arbaugh to play video games, browse the internet, and move a cursor on his laptop by thinking alone, according to the company's blog posts and videos.

The executives also stated that Neuralink is working on a new device that it believes will require half the number of electrodes to be implanted in the brain, aiming to make it more efficient and powerful.