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Neuralink says patient used brain chip to play chess online

[Image courtesy of Neuralink]Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain-computer interface (BCI) venture showed the early results from the first patient to receive its brain chip implant.

A nine-minute livestream demonstration on Musk’s “X” social media platform (formerly known as Twitter) showed Noland Arbaugh using the Neuralink BCI to move a computer cursor and play chess online.

Arbaugh, a quadriplegic, said he was paralyzed below the shoulders in a diving accident eight years ago. His use of the Neuralink BCI to play chess marks the first public demonstration of the potential of the brain implant in humans.

“I love playing chess,” Arbaugh said on the livestream. “This is something you all have enabled me to do. … It’s all being done with my brain.”

Arbaugh went on to say in the broadcast from Neuralink’s account: “It’s crazy. It’s so cool. I’m so lucky to be a part of thi…

FDA reportedly finds animal lab issues at Neuralink facility

A screen grab from a Neuralink video of a monkey playing Pong through its BCI. [Image courtesy of Neuralink]Reuters reports that FDA inspectors identified issues with record keeping and quality controls for animal experience at Neuralink.

This isn’t the first time questions have been raised over the Elon Musk-backed brain-computer interface company’s animal practices. Over the past couple of years, the company has drawn concerns over animal welfare and hazardous material transport practices.

Reuters‘ report comes amid the company’s first-in-human trial for its brain implant, a trial approved by the FDA in May. Just last week, Musk said that the first patient to receive the Neuralink implant fully recovered and can control a computer mouse using their thoughts. Musk claimed that “progress is good and the patient seems to have made a full recovery with no ill effects that we are aware of.”

According to the report, the FDA flagged the i…

Elon Musk says first Neuralink patient can control mouse with thoughts

Neuralink says its brain-computer interface is fully implantable, cosmetically invisible, and designed to let a person control a computer or mobile device anywhere they go. [Image courtesy of Neuralink]Reuters reports that the Elon Musk-backed Neuralink brain-computer interface (BCI) venture has positive early clinical trial results.

Musk reportedly said as much in a “Spaces” event on X (the social media website previously known as Twitter and now owned by Musk).

The company won a regulatory nod in May for a first-in-human implant, and in September it opened up recruitment for its clinical trial. Last month, Musk posted on X that the first patient in that trial received an implant.

However, questions have since arisen over the clinical trial.

Earlier this month, Nature reported that some neuroscientists have frustrations about the lack of detailed information and no confirmations that the study has begun besides social media posts from th…

Nature journal raises questions about Neuralink’s BCI study

Neuralink says its brain-computer interface is fully implantable, cosmetically invisible, and designed to let a person control a computer or mobile device anywhere they go. [Image courtesy of Neuralink]Concerns over transparency and safety are mounting among neurotechnology researchers following Neuralink’s first-in-human implant of its brain-computer interface technology, reports the Nature Journal.

While some experts are ‘cautiously excited’ about the start of the human trial, Nature reports some neuroscientists have frustrations about the lack of detailed information and no confirmations that the study has begun besides a tweet from the company’s owner entrepreneur Elon Musk.

“What I hope to see is that they can demonstrate that it is safe. And that it is effective at measuring brain signals — short term, but, most importantly, long term,” Mariska Vansteensel, a neuroscientist at University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands and p…

Neuralink completes first-in-human brain-computer interface implant

Neuralink’s brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. [Image courtesy of Neuralink]Elon Musk announced that his Neuralink brain-computer interface (BCI) venture completed its first-in-human implant this week.

The entrepreneur posted on X (formerly Twitter) to confirm the implant, which took place on Jan. 28.

“The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well,” Musk posted. “Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.”

The company won a regulatory nod in May for a first-in-human implant, and in September it opened up recruitment for its clinical trial. Musk also announced in August that Neuralink brought in $280 million, and the company in November added a further $43 million.

Neuralink develops an implant that comes in at about the size of a coin. Musk says the company plans to call its first product “Telepathy.”

Remotely rechargeable, the implant goes alon…

Report: Musk’s Neuralink fined over hazardous materials transport

Neuralink says its brain-computer interface is fully implantable, cosmetically invisible, and designed to let a person control a computer or mobile device anywhere they go. [Image courtesy of Neuralink]Neuralink, the Elon Musk-backed brain-computer interface (BCI) maker, was reportedly fined for violating rules related to the movement of hazardous materials.

Reuters reports that the company received the penalty for violating U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules. The outlet says DOT investigators found the company failed to register itself as a transporter of hazardous material. This conclusion came from February 2023 inspections of Neuralink facilities in Texas and California.

Additionally, the report says DOT found improper packaging of hazardous waste, including Xylene, a flammable liquid. Reuters cites DOT documents confirming the fine totaled $2,480. The outlet says the fine registers lower than the initial one levied because Neuralink agreed to fix t…

Opening the brain’s secret back door: A conversation with Synchron co-founder and CEO Dr. Tom Oxley

Dr. Tom Oxley, CEO and co-founder of breakthrough brain-computer interface developer Synchron, discusses advances in minimally invasive neurointervention, medtech leadership, advice for device developers, and ethics at the bleeding edge of BCI technology.

Synchron co-founder and CEO Dr. Tom Oxley giving a TED Talk with an image of the Stentrode device displayed behind him. [Photo courtesy of Synchron]

What seems like a miracle today — a paralyzed patient regaining the ability to communicate with their family without open-brain surgery — may eventually seem obvious in retrospect.

It already does to Dr. Tom Oxley, the interventional neurologist who’s CEO and co-founder of brain-computer interface (BCI) developer Synchron.

Synchron’s Stentrode device is implanted inside a blood vessel in the brain to sense neural signals and relay them to another implant in the chest. Those signals are then tran…

Neuralink raises another $43M for brain-computer interface

Neuralink says its brain-computer interface is fully implantable, cosmetically invisible, and designed to let a person control a computer or mobile device anywhere they go. [Image courtesy of Neuralink]Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain-computer interface (BCI) venture recently filed an SEC Form D confirming the sale of $43 million in equity.

The SEC filing shows a total of more than $323 million raised by the brain implant maker. After Musk announced in August that Neuralink brought in $280 million, the latest investment totals around $43 million.

Neuralink develops an implant called the N1 that comes in at about the size of a coin. Remotely rechargeable, the implant goes along with electrode-laced threads that go further into the brain. Neuralink also has an R1 robot meant to be programmed to implant the BCI system while avoiding vasculature.

The company designed its system to enable the user to control a computer or mobile device anywhere they go. It garn…

Synchron’s plan to beat Neuralink in the neuroprosthetic BCI race

Synchron Chief Commercial Officer Kurt Haggstrom [Photo courtesy of Synchron]

Competing brain-computer interface (BCI) developers Synchron and Neuralink both announced big news this month as they move their dueling neuroimplant technologies forward.

The device developers each have FDA investigational device exemption (IDE) for their experimental BCIs. They’ve also got billionaires backing their R&D and regulatory efforts, with Neuralink owned by Elon Musk and Synchron funded by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.

This month, Synchron announced the completion of patient enrollment in its COMMAND clinical trial. Two weeks later, Neuralink announced the start of recruiting for its own clinical trial, the PRIME first-in-human study.

With BCI technology advancing as one of the hottest spaces in medtech innovation, Synchron Chief Commercial Officer Kurt Haggstrom discussed the competitive landscape and…

Neuralink opens recruitment for first-in-human BCI trial

Neuralink says its brain-computer interface is fully implantable, cosmetically invisible, and designed to let a person control a computer or mobile device anywhere they go. [Image courtesy of Neuralink]Neuralink, the Elon Musk-backed brain-computer interface (BCI) maker, today announced that it opened recruitment for a clinical trial.

The first-in-human trial — the PRIME study — evaluates the company’s fully implantable, wireless BCI and delivering surgical robot. It assesses the initial functionality of the BCI for enabling people with paralysis to control external devices with their thoughts.

According to a blog post on Neuralink’s website, people who have quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may qualify.

Neuralink’s N1 brain implant comes in at about the size of a coin. Remotely rechargeable, the implant goes along with electrode-laced threads that go further into the brain. Neuralink al…

Elon Musk’s Neuralink raises $280M for brain-computer interface tech

Neuralink says its brain-computer interface is fully implantable, cosmetically invisible, and designed to let a person control a computer or mobile device anywhere they go. [Image courtesy of Neuralink]Neuralink, the Elon Musk-backed brain-computer interface (BCI) maker, announced that it raised $280 million in a Series D financing.

The Founders Fund, founded by billionaire Peter Thiel among others, led the round.

Neuralink made its announcement in a post on “X,” (formerly “Twitter”) the social media platform owned by Musk.

“We’re happy to announce our $280M Series D round led by @foundersfund,” the post said. “We’re extremely excited about this next chapter at Neuralink.”

Neuralink develops an implant called the N1 that comes in at about the size of a coin. Remotely rechargeable, the implant goes along with electrode-laced threads that go further into the brain. Neuralink also has an R1 robot meant to …

Neuralink says FDA has OK’d a human trial

Neuralink says its brain-computer interface is fully implantable, cosmetically invisible, and designed to let a person control a computer or mobile device anywhere they go. [Image courtesy of Neuralink]Elon Musk’s Neuralink says the FDA has approved a first-in-human clinical trial for its brain-computer interface technology.

Neuralink said on Twitter yesterday:

“We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study!

This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA and represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people.

Recruitment is not yet open for our clinical trial. We’ll announce more information on this soon!”

FDA media relations could not be immediately reached for comment.

Citing anonymous current and former employees, Reuters has reported that the FDA previously rejec…