The FDA approved Elon Musk’s brain implant device Neuralink to begin human trials of the tiny implant, which is controlled via Bluetooth.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink received approval last week from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct human clinical trials, which one former FDA official called “really a big deal.”
Neuralink plants to use its brain-computer interface (BCI) technology to restore movement in people with quadriplegia, meaning complete or partial paralysis of the arms, legs and trunk.
The device connects the brain to an external computer via a Bluetooth signal, enabling continuous communication back and forth.
The chips have been tested in monkeys and are designed to interpret signals produced in the brain and relay information to devices via Bluetooth.
According to the website, “anyone within the United States who is at least 18 years old and the age of majority in their state, who is able to consent, and who has quadriplegia, paraplegia, vision loss, hearing loss, and/or the inability to speak, is invited to participate in the Patient Registry.”
However, researchers and scientists have expressed both fear and horror at Musk’s goal of connecting human brains to computers and this mainly stems from many questions regarding the safety of the devices.
“But if something goes wrong, we really don’t have the technology to explant them” safely without damaging the brain.
Read More Here: Elon Musk’s Brain Implant Neuralink Approved by FDA
