The Neuralink chip implanted in a human failed
Elon Musk’s neurotechnology company Neuralink faced unforeseen technical problems after implanting its device into the brain of patient Nolan Arb. A few weeks after the surgery in January, some of the threads with electrodes that were supposed to measure neural activity began to come out of the brain tissue, which led to a malfunction of the device. These problems were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
In response to the difficulties identified, Neuralink developed a series of software fixes that not only restored the device’s functionality but also improved its performance compared to the state immediately after surgery. The company is actively working to improve the device’s text input and cursor control capabilities, and plans to expand its functionality to control robotic arms and wheelchairs.
Experts in the field of brain implants point out that complications may be related to the location of the device in the skull bone, and not on the surface of the brain, as is usually the case. Despite the successes in animal testing, the size of the human brain and potential electrode displacement can be a challenge to the stability of the device. These malfunctions may also affect the speed of obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
