Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

On Wednesday, local time, Neuralink, a brain-computer interface company owned by Elon Musk, shared the latest progress in its brain implantation technology. Musk said at the event that he plans to implant the device in his brain.

Musk says the company currently has three main projects: the first two are designed to help restore eyesight, even for people born blind, and the third focuses on the motor cortex to restore "systemic function" for people with spinal cord injuries. "We believe that there will be no physical restrictions on the restoration of systemic function," Musk said. "

Musk said Neuralink could start testing motor cortex technology in humans as soon as six months. "obviously, before implanting the device into the human body, we want to be very careful and make sure it works well," he said. "but we have referred most of the paperwork to the FDA."

Musk says he plans to implant a brain-computer interface device into his brain. "there may be an implantable Neuralink device now, and you don't even know it," he said. "of course, I'm assuming. In fact, I will implant the device myself." Musk reiterated this on Twitter after the technical demonstration.

Xing Chen, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said Musk's statement on Wednesday was questionable because the Neuralink device had not yet been tested on humans and had not been approved by FDA.

She added: "Neuralink is a company that is not accountable to shareholders and I don't know how much supervision is involved, but I think the public must always keep in mind that all statements need to be carefully scrutinized before FDA or any government regulator approves anything."

Founded by Musk and a number of scientists and engineers in 2016, Neuralink is dedicated to developing brain-computer interface (BCI) technology that connects the human brain to computers that can decipher neural signals.

Mr Musk has invested much of his personal wealth in the company and said, without hard evidence, that Neuralink devices could achieve "superhuman cognition", including enabling paralyzed people to operate smartphones or robotic limbs with their brains and helping to treat autism and schizophrenia.

Neuralink's presentation on Wednesday highlighted these ambitions, as Musk claimed: "while these may sound like miracles, we believe it is possible to restore systemic function to patients with spinal cord injuries."

Musk showed pictures of monkeys with computer chips implanted in their skulls playing "telepathic video games". He said at the time that he wanted to implant Neuralink chips into tetraplegic patients with brain or spinal injuries so that they could "control a computer mouse, mobile phone or any device through their minds".

However, Neuralink has come under fire for allegedly using monkeys for testing. On Wednesday, the Committee of responsible Physicians called on Musk to release details of experiments on monkeys that led to bleeding, paralysis, chronic infections, seizures, mental health decline and even death.

Anna Wexler (Anna Wexle), assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, says Neuralink's flamboyant demonstrations are not common in companies in the medical device field. She says encouraging hope for people with severe disabilities poses a big risk, especially if they get hurt if they implant the device during surgery.

Wexler encourages skepticism about Neuralink's technology. "from an ethical point of view, I think the hype is very worrying," she said. "Space exploration or Twitter acquisition is one thing, but when you enter the medical field, the risk is higher."

Xing Chen, who specializes in brain-computer interface technology, said Neuralink implants will require subjects to undergo more invasive surgery. Doctors need to make a big hole in the skull to insert the device into the brain tissue. Even so, she thinks some people will be willing to take the risk.

Neuralink is not the only company trying to innovate with BCI. In recent years, many companies have made great progress. Blackrock Neurotech is expected to bring its BCI system to market next year, making it the first company in history to commercialize BCI technology. Synchron was approved by FDA in 2021 to begin clinical trials of permanently implanted BCI. ParadRomics is reportedly preparing to begin human trials in 2023.

Musk: brain-computer interface company Neuralink is expected to begin human trials within six months.

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