Neuralinkthe neurotechnology company co-founded by Elon Muskannounced the approval of a new trial of brain chips to allow paraplegics to move.
Big step forward
US authorities have approved ways to test technology that would allow paraplegic people to control a robotic arm with their thoughts: “This is an important first step towards recovering not only digital freedom, but also physical freedom“the company said in a statement.
On January 29, the company announced that it had implanted its first brain chip in a human being, nine months after the Food and Drug Administration gave the green light to begin testing on humans. A week ago, however, the one arrived to be able to launch brain implants in Canada.
How the device works
The trial, called the CONVOY Study, will allow participants in the “Prime” study to enroll in this trial. The study is currently evaluating the safety and initial functionality of Neuralink’s fully implantable, wireless BCI, known as the N1 Implant.
The device is inserted into the area of the brain responsible for movement planning and is designed to allow people with quadriplegia to control external devices, such as computers or smartphones, only with thought.
The implant – designed among other things to be aesthetically invisible – works without the need for wires or physical movements. It works by interpreting the user’s neural activity, translating their intention to move into commands that can control the technology.
The potential benefits
This technology could have important applications, primarily unrestricted hand control for those who have suffered cervical spinal cord injuries
or are affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This type of patient is eligible to participate in the trial which represents, in the medical field, an enormous step forward in the interaction between man and computer.