Neuralink’s first brain implant in humans encounters problems – IT Pro – News

The first brain implant that Neuralink placed in a human caused problems after a few weeks. Some wires from the implant have withdrawn from the patient’s brain.

Neuralink, a company owned by Elon Musk, builds flexible electrodes that are implanted deep in the human brain. These then enable communication between the brain and a computer. The implant consists of 1,024 electrodes with 64 extremely thin ‘wires’, with which neural signals are sent. The intention is that people who can no longer use their limbs can communicate more easily with the outside world.

In January, the implant was placed in a human brain for the first time. It concerns a 29-year-old man named Nolan Arbaugh, who was paralyzed from his shoulders down due to an accident. Last March, Neuralink shared a video of Arbaugh playing chess via the implant.

Weeks later, problems arose. Some wires have withdrawn from Arbaugh’s brain, leaving less effective electrodes, Neuralink said in a blog post. This reduces the speed and accuracy with which Arbaugh can control a cursor on a computer. Neuralink does not say how many wires have withdrawn and exactly how big the impact is.

To keep the implant as effective as possible, Neuralink has adjusted the recording algorithm and improved the user interface. Work has also been done to improve the techniques used to translate signals into mouse movements. This has significantly improved the speed and accuracy. The results would be even better than in the first tests, according to Neuralink.

According to The Wall Street Journal, removal of the implant has also been considered, but the problem does not pose an immediate risk to Arbaugh’s safety or health. Neuralink has not responded to that report.