Elon Musk’s Neuralink is going to implant brain implants in 11 patients in 2024
Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk and a group of scientists in 2016, creates brain implants to restore the ability to communicate and move in people with disabilities. Having received permission to conduct human trials, Neuralink plans to conduct them on 11 patients at once next year. The cost of each operation is estimated at $10,500, but insurance companies need to pay $40,000 for each patient.
Elon Musk has managed to speed up the approval process for human clinical trials of Neuralink implants, Bloomberg reports. Usually, the first patient must be observed by specialists for a year after a successful operation before further interventions are allowed. However, the FDA made a concession and allowed Neuralink to conduct trials on 11 patients at once, who will be operated on next year.
Neuralink estimates the cost of each operation at $10,500, but insurance companies need to pay $40,000 for each patient. Despite the fact that Neuralink has already received thousands of patient requests, only 11 volunteers will be selected for the first phase of the experiment by next year. Ideally, participants should be under the age of 40 and suffer from upper and lower limb paralysis.
At the first stage of implantation of the Neuralink implant, the surgeon makes a round hole in the patient’s skull above the area of the brain responsible for limb mobility. The Neuralink medical robot then integrates 16 of the thinnest polymer-coated trains into the cerebral cortex. The loops are connected by electrodes, each of which is 14 times thinner than a hair and has a diameter of no more than 5 microns. This part of the operation is automated because it requires very precise manipulations. The coin-sized minicomputer is then installed in a hole in the skull and connected to electrodes implanted in the brain. The entire operation process is expected to take about 2.5 hours, although Musk is aiming to reduce this time to 15 minutes.
One of the features of the Neuralink implant, unlike the products of most competitors, is its ability to transmit information via a wireless interface. The implant’s battery provides several hours of operation, after which it can be recharged wirelessly by putting a special cap on the patient. Future versions are planned to implant up to 128 of the thinnest loops in the cerebral cortex, and the battery life will be extended to 11 hours. It is possible that patients will be able to charge the implant while sleeping through a special device built into the pillow.
Neuralink plans to implant implants in 27 people in 2025, 79 patients in 2026, 499 patients in 2027, and reach 22,204 surgeries annually by 2030. In five years, the company expects annual revenue from operations of $100 million. Along with developing its own robot, Neuralink also develops and manufactures semiconductor components on its own. It is important that the implant does not heat up and cause discomfort, so the company develops and produces many components on its own. In 2021, about 12 surgical robots were used to implant 155 implants in animals, and last year the number of operations increased to 294.
Neuralink plans to develop a separate implant for the spinal cord, which will help restore mobility to people with paralysis. The brain implant will be used to restore communication with the outside world, for example, through a computer, as well as to control bionic prostheses. The spinal cord implant will be aimed at restoring the mobility of the patient’s own limbs. Monkeys with brain implants that have been living in Neuralink’s laboratories for three years have already learned to control a computer cursor in games. In addition to playing ping-pong, they can move the cursor with their minds on a matrix of 35 randomly highlighted cells. The speed of cursor control increases after training and learning.
One of Neuralink’s long-term goals is to unlock the potential and exceed the biological abilities of billions of people. Since its foundation, the company has raised about $600 million for development. Next year will be crucial for Neuralink and will show whether human trials will be successful.
