At least four times since 2019, Musk has predicted that his medical device company will begin testing brain implants on humans to treat serious conditions like paralysis and blindness.
Photo: Reuters
But Neuralink, founded in 2016, only began seeking FDA approval in early 2022 — and the agency has already rejected the application. The FDA raised a number of concerns about the company’s implanted device, according to Neuralink employees.
The main issues relate to the device's lithium battery, the ability of the implant's wires to migrate within the brain, and the challenge of safely removing the device without damaging brain tissue.
“This is an incredible result from the Neuralink team working closely with the FDA and marks an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people,” Neuralink said in a tweet on Thursday.
Musk has been public about his ambitious plans for Neuralink for years, and made headlines late last year when he said he was so confident in the safety of the devices that he would be willing to implant them in his own children.
Musk believes that both disabled and healthy people will soon be able to get implants at local centers, with the devices aimed at treating a range of conditions from obesity, autism, depression, schizophrenia, to even… boosting telepathy.
Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, Twitter)
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