Musk recruits brain-computer interface "guinea pigs": the first batch of human clinical trials, lasting 6 years, must be 22 years old or above

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Musk’s brain-computer interface once again ushered in new progress.

Just today, Neuralink announced:

Recruitment for the first batch of human clinical trials has begun.

You may qualify if you are a quadriplegic due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) .

It is reported that this test will last for about six years and will be used to verify the safety and functionality of the driver’s brain-computer interface technology .

As soon as the news came out, netizens expressed warm congratulations to Neuralink:

This is a huge step! Congratulations!

更有甚者，已经报上名了～

Neuralink’s first batch of human trials begins

The name of this trial is PRIME , which stands for "Precise Robotically Implanted Brain -Computer Interface" .

It has received approval from the independent institutional review board and first hospital site.

PRIME mainly targets Neuralink's fully implantable wireless brain-computer interface technology.

As mentioned at the beginning, this trial will evaluate:

(1) The safety of two devices, one is the implant and the other is the surgical robot.

Among them, the implant has a total of 1,024 electrodes distributed on 64 wires, each of which is thinner than a human hair.

Surgical robots are designed to accurately insert the implant's threads into the appropriate areas of the brain.

(2) The initial function of Neuralink brain-computer interface technology is to allow paralyzed people to control external devices with their thoughts. Currently, the keyboard and cursor are tentatively selected.

During the study, robots will place implants in areas of the patient's brain that control movement intentions.

After the implant is installed, it will appear invisible from the head . The device records brain signals and transmits them wirelessly to a program that decodes the signal's intent.

The program looks like this:

You can see an interface for practicing moving the mouse cursor, which displays the time taken each time.

For volunteers, Neuralink only puts forward three basic requirements:

• 22 years or older

• All four limbs have been paralyzed due to spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for more than 1 year without any improvement

• Accompanied by a personal caregiver

Of course, this is not possible if the applicant already has an active implanted device, has a history of epilepsy, or requires long-term MRI.

The specific number of people recruited was not disclosed, but according to Neuralink employees, they had expected 10 people , but the FDA wanted to reduce the number due to safety concerns.

Volunteers who ultimately qualify for the trial will conduct a six-year study:

Initially, nine consultations were conducted, including at home and in person at the hospital, lasting one and a half years;

Two one-hour brain-computer interface (BCI) research sessions per week;

After the initial consultation is completed, the long-term follow-up session begins, lasting about five years and 20 times in total.

During this period, Neuralink will provide some subsidies to volunteers, including round-trip travel expenses.

Experts: It will take more than ten years at the earliest to be commercialized

Neuralink's current market capitalization is approximately US$5 billion.

Prior to this, the company had conducted several brain-computer interface experiments on animals , including monkeys and pigs .

However, it was accused of "death of experimental animals".

Musk has denied this.

As for human trials, Neuralink was rejected by the FDA once due to "excessive safety risks" before getting a pass in May this year .

Whether this research can be conducted smoothly and successfully will take time to verify.

Some experts say that even if their BCI device is proven safe for humans, it will take more than ten years to obtain a commercial use license and be put on the market.

But no matter how you say it, this news alone has excited many people, especially related patients.

Will Neuralink led by Musk change the lives of some people?

Reference links:
[1] https://twitter.com/neuralink/status/1704189132530974954
[2] https://neuralink.com/blog/first-clinical-trial-open-for-recruitment/

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