Elon Musk’s neurotech startup implanted its device in a human for the first time on Sunday. Getty Images
The brain-chip startup Neuralink on Sunday has implanted a brain-chip in first human patient and is recovering well, the company's billionaire founder Elon Musk said.
"Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," Musk said in a post on the social media platform X on Monday.
Spikes are activity by neurons, which the National Institute of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body.
Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the company clearance to conduct its first trial to test its implant on humans. This is the critical milestone in the startup's ambitions to help patients overcome paralysis and a host of neurological conditions, it was said.
In September, Neuralink said it received approval for recruitment for the human trial.
The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuralink said previously, adding that its initial goal is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.
The implants' "ultra-fine" threads help transmit signals in participants' brains, Neuralink has said.
The first product from Neuralink would be called Telepathy, Musk said in a separate post on X.
The startup's PRIME Study is a trial for its wireless brain-computer interface to evaluate the safety of the implant and surgical robot.
Neuralink did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for further details.
The company has faced calls for scrutiny regarding its safety protocols. Reuters reported earlier this month that the company was fined for violating U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules regarding the movement of hazardous materials.
The company was valued at about $5 billion last June, but four lawmakers in late November asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Musk had misled investors about the safety of its technology after veterinary records showed problems with the implants on monkeys included paralysis, seizures and brain swelling.
Musk wrote in a social media post on Sept. 10 that "no monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant." He added that the company chose "terminal" monkeys to minimize risk to healthy ones.
伊隆馬斯克表示，第一位植入大腦晶片的人類患者恢復良好
腦晶片新創公司 Neuralink 的億萬富翁創辦人 Elon Musk 週日表示，該公司已經在第一位人類患者身上植入了腦晶片，並且恢復良好。
「初步結果顯示，神經元尖峰檢測很有前景，」馬斯克週一在社群媒體平台 X 上發文表示。
尖峰是神經元的活動，美國國立衛生研究院將神經元描述為使用電信號和化學信號向大腦周圍和身體發送訊息的細胞。
去年，美國食品藥物管理局批准該公司進行首次人體植入試驗。 據稱，這是該新創公司幫助患者克服癱瘓和一系列 神經系統疾病的雄心壯志的重要里程碑。
9 月， Neuralink 表示已獲得人體試驗招募的批准。
Neuralink 先前表示，這項研究使用機器人透過手術將腦機介面 (BCI) 植入物植入大腦控制移動意圖的區域，並補充說其最初目標是使人們能夠控制電腦遊標或鍵盤單獨使用他們的想法。
Neuralink 表示，植入物的「超細」螺紋有助於在參與者的大腦中傳輸訊號。
馬斯克在 X 上的另一篇文章中表示， Neuralink 的第一個產品將被稱為 Telepathy。
該新創公司的 PRIME 研究是對其無線腦機介面的一項試驗，旨在評估植入物和手術機器人的安全性。
Neuralink 沒有立即回應路透社提供更多細節的請求。
該公司面臨對其安全協議進行審查的呼籲。 路透社本月稍早報道稱，該公司因違反美國交通部 (DOT) 關於危險物質運輸的規定而被罰款。
去年 6 月，該公司的估值約為 50 億美元，但在獸醫記錄顯示猴子身上的植入物存在包括癱瘓、癲癇發作和腦腫脹。
馬斯克在 9 月 10 日的社交媒體帖子中寫道， “沒有猴子因 Neuralink 植入而死亡。” 他補充說，該公司選擇「晚期」猴子是為了最大限度地降低健康猴子的風險。
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