Neuralink gets permission to implant chip in human brain for second time

The American company Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk, received permission from the US Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to carry out the second surgery to implant a chip in the human brain. This is reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing a document at its disposal.

There were problems with the chip called Telepathy installed in the brain of the first man. In particular, as a result of the movement of the brain, the part of the ultra-thin wires connected to the brain of the chip came out, as a result of which it did not transmit signals to the chip. The company said it had restored the functionality of the implant by modifying its algorithm and making the neuroimplant more sensitive. But to solve the problem, the company plans to insert some of the wiring deeper into the brain.

Reuters reported that the company had been aware of the problem, as was the US Food and Drug Administration, as Neuralink provided regulatory authorities with all the results of animal testing. The agency had declined to comment on the information, saying only that the FDA will monitor the safety of participants in Neuralink's studies.

The Neuralink implant was installed in the brain of the first patient in January of this year. Elon Musk announced that the patient is feeling well, and the first data from the device show promising results.

Neuralink's new implant allows the wearer to control a smartphone or computer with the power of the mind, and is primarily intended for those who cannot use their limbs for various reasons. In March of this year, the first patient with an implant showed how he plays chess and computer games "with the power of his mind".

Founded in 2016, Neuralink is also developing another brain implant that should enable a blind person to see. This project is called Blindsight. Musk believes that such neural interfaces will help people learn to directly control a computer using the power of the mind.