Elon Musk announced Wednesday that Neuralink plans to implant its brain-computer interface in a second human patient within “the next week or so,” despite ongoing technical challenges with its first recipient. The revelation came during a company livestream where executives detailed hardware modifications being implemented for future procedures.
First Implant’s Mixed Results
Neuralink’s maiden human implantation occurred in January with 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh at Phoenix’s Barrow Neurological Institute. While the surgery was initially successful, the company later acknowledged in an April blog post that some of the implant’s ultra-thin threads had retracted from brain tissue, significantly reducing functionality.
Currently, only about 15% of the implant’s 1,024 electrode channels remain operational. Despite this limitation, Arbaugh reportedly uses the device extensively—up to 70 hours weekly—for activities including video viewing, reading, and playing chess.
Technical Adjustments for Future Procedures
Neuralink executives outlined several modifications for upcoming implants:
- Skull surface sculpting to reduce gaps beneath the implant
- Deeper thread insertion into brain tissue
- Implementation of movement tracking for inserted threads
- Variable depth placement to account for potential retraction
“We’ll insert threads at a variety of depths now that we know retraction is a possibility,” explained Dr. Matthew MacDougall, Neuralink’s head of neurosurgery.
Regulatory Landscape and Competition
The FDA continues monitoring Neuralink’s trial through mandatory safety reports. No brain-computer interface company has yet received FDA approval for commercialization, though several competitors—including Synchron, Paradromics and Precision Neuroscience—are developing similar systems.
Musk stated Neuralink hopes to implant devices in the “high single digits” of patients this year, though specific timelines and locations remain undisclosed. The company declined to provide additional comment when contacted.
Broader Context
Neuralink’s Telepathy system represents an ambitious attempt to create a functional brain-machine interface, with 64 hair-thin threads designed to record neural signals. The technology aims to eventually help patients with paralysis control devices through thought alone.
The Wall Street Journal reported that while the first implant’s issues prompted consideration of removal, the device currently poses no direct health risk to Arbaugh.
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