Elon Musk's Neuralink has implanted a brain computer chip in its first human patient as part of a clinical trial.
Musk said in a tweet that the patient is "recovering well" after the surgery to insert the chip, with initial results showing "promising neuron spike detection". Spikes are activity by nerve cells in the brain.
Neuralink's brain-computer-interface (BCI) implants are designed to enable individuals to control devices using only their thoughts, facilitated by wireless brain-computer interface technology placed in the part of the brain that plans movement.
In this groundbreaking study, named Prime, the BCIs are being tested on adults suffering from quadriplegia, or paralysis of all four limbs, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease resulting in progressive muscular paralysis.
The study aims to evaluate the safety of the implants and a surgical robot, and assess the initial functionality of the BCI for enabling people with quadriplegia to control external devices with their thoughts.
Last year, Neuralink received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human testing of its neural-chip technology and was cleared to begin recruiting patients soon after.
Recruitment for the trial began in September, with an independent institutional review board overseeing the trial to ensure safety and ethical compliance.
Neuralink raised $323 million last year, with 32 investors participating, led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund.
Since the company was founded in 2016, several investigations have been launched over potential infractions, including possible breaches of animal-welfare legislation and concerns over the mishandling of hazardous pathogens.