Neuralink’s initial effort to implant a chip in a human skull faced an unexpected setback when the device started detaching from the patient’s brain, the company revealed on Wednesday.
Patient Noland Arbaugh underwent surgery to have a Neuralink chip inserted into his brain in February, but within a month of the implantation, the device began malfunctioning. Some of the threads connecting the small computer to the brain were retracting. Neuralink did not specify the reason for the partial detachment of the device from Arbaugh’s brain, but mentioned in a blog post that the company’s engineers have enhanced the implant and restored its functionality.
Despite the reduced functionality, Arbaugh was not at risk and could still use the implant to play chess on a computer using his thoughts. The Wall Street Journal first reported the issue with the chip, mentioning that the possibility of removal was considered once complications became evident.
According to a Neuralink blog post, Arbaugh’s implant started experiencing issues in late February, with some chip threads retracting from the brain, resulting in a decrease in the number of active electrodes and reduced bit rate performance.
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Owned by Elon Musk, Neuralink, with sales of approximately $5 billion last year, gained widespread attention for publicizing the success of its initial implant and positioning itself as a leading innovator in brain chip technology. While still in the early stages, the disclosure from the company highlights the unproven and intricate nature of the experimental procedure.
Neuralink’s implant involves placing a small container in the skull containing a processing chip, battery, and 64 thin threads connected to brain tissue to interact with neural signals. Arbaugh, who is quadriplegic, utilizes the implant to control computer devices like the keyboard and mouse cursor.
Arbaugh commended the implant during a demonstration in March, stating that it had already made a significant impact on his life, but acknowledged encountering some challenges with the device.
Prior to their first human implant, Neuralink conducted extensive testing on animals such as sheep, pigs, and monkeys for several years. Regulators have initiated multiple probes into the company’s practices. Earlier this year, inspections revealed quality control and record-keeping issues at a California research facility.
Source: www.theguardian.com
