Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment The FDA has reportedly given Elon Musk's Neuralink the go-ahead to proceed with the implantation of its brain chip system into a second patient. The agency gave the green light after signing off on certain "fixes" Neuralink plans to implement with the second implantation, which includes embedding the chip’s wires more deeply into the brain, according to The Wall Street Journal . Neuralink intends to embed the ultra-thin wires more deeply after discovering that many had loosened in its first patient due to greater than anticipated movement of the brain in the skull.
The loosened wires interfered with the device’s ability to read neural signals. The first patient to receive the implant, Noland Arbaugh, told the Journal that wire breakdowns caused him to lose some of the abilities he gained by undergoing the procedure. The device enabled Arbaugh, a quadriplegic, to operate a cursor on a computer screen with his thoughts, which allowed him to more easily interact with his environment and other people.
Neuralink hopes to embed the chip system in a second patient in June, with the goal of implanting ten people by the end of the year. More than 1,000 quadriplegics have signed up for the company’s patient registry, with less than 100 qualifying for the study, the Journal added. Neuralink was cofounded by Tesla ( NASDAQ: TSLA ) CEO Elon Musk, who remains a key backer.
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