Neuralink: brain chip implanted in man malfunctions; see the details

Last Wednesday (08), Neuralink informed that its brain chip created to help patients with paralysis had a defect in its first surgery carried out by the company in January this year. Neuralink’s system, called Link, is a brain-computer interface (BCI) that allows people with paralysis to control external devices using thought.

The first patient to receive the Neuralink brain chip implant was Noland Arbaugh, 29 years old. The man became quadriplegic 8 years ago, after an accident while diving. The surgery was performed as part of the company’s tests to prove the safety of this type of implant.

In March, Neuralink even did a live show showing Arbaugh using the Link system to play chess. A few days later, the company posted that the surgery had been a success.

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The Neuralink chip was defective

Now, according to the Wall Street JournalNeuralink’s brain chip presented issues that reduce the company’s ability to measure the speed and accuracy of the Link system.

Link records neural signals using 1,024 electrodes from 64 “threads” (or wires) that are thinner than a human hair, according to the company. In recent days, company scientists noticed that some of the wires “disappeared” from Arbaugh’s brain.

To overcome the problem and restore the Link system’s tracking accuracy, Neuralink modified the recording algorithm, improved the user interface, and improved techniques for translating signals into cursor movements. Basically, it appears that the scientists were able to redirect all of the tasks performed by Link to the threads that remained in the patient’s tissue.

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Will Neuralink remove the chip?

Sources not cited by the site said Neuralink considered removing Arbaugh’s brain chip. However, it appears that after a deeper evaluation, the company decided that the defect presented by the device does not negatively impact patient safety. That’s why, removing the chip would not be necessary.

Neuralink had reported that Arbaugh usually uses his BCI for about 8 hours a day, reaching up to 10 hours a day on weekends.

It is worth highlighting that the Neuralink implant is still an experimental procedure. The company still needs to carry out several tests before the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the commercialization of this type of surgery.