Neuralink Successfully Carries Out Human Trials on Chip Implant

Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Neuralink, announced on Jan 29 that the company's first human patient received an implant on Sunday and is doing well.

"Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," Musk wrote on the social media platform X.

Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the company's first human trial of its implant. Musk announced in a separate post on X that Neuralink's first product would be called Telepathy.

The startup's PRIME Study is a trial for its wireless brain-computer interface to evaluate the safety of the implant and surgical robot. The study will assess the functionality of the interface, which enables people with quadriplegia or paralysis of all four limbs to control devices with their thoughts, according to the company's website.

Last September, Neuralink opened the study trial for recruitment. The startup did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for additional information. Concerns have been raised about Neuralink's safety protocols. Reuters reported earlier this month that the company was fined for violating US Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations governing the movement of hazardous materials.

Last November, four US lawmakers requested that the Securities and Exchange Commission investigate Musk's alleged securities fraud by misleading investors about the safety of a Neuralink-developed brain implant.