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Elon Musk, owner of the startup Neuralink, said the company has successfully implanted a brain chip in a second patient. The device allows paralyzed patients to use digital devices with their thoughts.
According to The Guardian (UK), Neuralink is in the process of testing a device designed to support people with spinal cord injuries. This device has allowed the first implanted patient to play video games, browse the Internet, post on social networks and move the cursor on a computer.
In the more than eight-hour podcast posted on August 2, Mr. Musk gave few details about the second brain chip patient, other than revealing that he had a spinal cord injury similar to the first patient, who was paralyzed in a diving accident.
The world's richest billionaire said the 400 electrodes implanted in the second patient's brain are working. Neuralink claims on its website that its implant uses 1,024 electrodes.
“It seems to be going really well with the second implant. There are a lot of signals, a lot of electrodes. Everything is working really well,” Musk told computer scientist podcast host Lex Fridman.
Mr Musk did not disclose when Neuralink performed the second patient surgery. He hopes Neuralink will provide implants to eight more patients this year as part of clinical trials.
The first patient, 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh, was interviewed on the podcast alongside three Neuralink executives, providing details about how the implant works and the robot-performed surgery.
Before getting the brain chip implanted in January, Arbaugh had to use a computer through a bar in his mouth to touch the screen. Now, with the implant, he just has to think about what he wants to happen on the computer screen and Neuralink's device makes it happen. Arbaugh said the device has given him some independence and reduced his dependence on caregivers.
Arbaugh initially encountered problems after surgery when the tiny wires on his implant contracted, causing a sharp reduction in the electrodes that measure brain signals. Reuters reported that Neuralink knew about the issue from animal testing.
Neuralink said it restored the ability to track Arbaugh's brain signals by making changes that included modifying the algorithm to be more sensitive.
“Arbaugh improved his previous world record for cursor control speed using only thought with only about 10, 15% of the electrodes working,” Musk said on the podcast.
Musk also said he had spoken to Donald Trump, the US presidential candidate he supports, about forming a commission to improve “government efficiency” by reducing business regulations and would be willing to participate. Musk said that in his view, US regulations are stifling innovation.
