The trailblazing firm Neuralink, headed by Elon Musk, had to call off a second procedure to install its brain implant. This cancellation follows the successful first surgery on Noland Arbaugh a few months ago. Sadly, the patient involved this time, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), couldn’t undergo the operation because of newly identified unforeseen medical issues.
- Neuralink had to call off its second implant procedure.
- The patient, who has ALS, couldn’t benefit from the chip due to medical complications.
- The company hasn’t yet commented on the situation.
Choosing the right patient: a headache
Choosing participants for Neuralink’s clinical trials is a crucial step. Michael Lawton, the head of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, highlighted this by stating,
“Selecting the right patient for a trial like this is important. Everyone involved, clinically and surgically, wants to do it right.”
Michael Lawton
The institute, which hosted the first implantation, considered the patient unsuitable for this second procedure due to undisclosed complications.
Neuralink directs its efforts toward people with severe motor disorders. Noland Arbaugh, 29, who became quadriplegic after a tragic diving accident in 2016, was the first to benefit from this groundbreaking technology. However, his implant reportedly began to malfunction just a few months after installation, likely due to the excessive depth of the wires inserted into his brain tissue.
Neuralink: the future is not for now
The delay of this second surgery underscores the challenges Neuralink is encountering. Despite Musk’s continued ambitious goals, the company must navigate both technical and medical obstacles.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, presents specific challenges for brain implants. As the disease is progressive and degenerative, the implants need to adjust to the ongoing changes in the patient’s brain and function with a diminishing number of healthy neurons.
The company has not released an official statement about the cancellation, while Elon Musk simply retweeted an interview video of Arbaugh after the news broke. Another candidate is expected to receive the implant next month, though details about this person and their health condition remain confidential.
This cancellation demonstrates that despite Neuralink’s remarkable progress in the implant sector, the technology is still in its early development stages and not ready for widespread deployment.