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The controversial company said its second human patient is using the device to design 3D objects and play video games, while issues with the first patient’s device have been fixed.
Neuralink continues to make progress with its brain-implant device, as it has successfully placed the device into another human.
The company shared an update on its second human patient – Alex – who received his Neuralink implant last month. Nerualink said Alex had a smooth recovery and has been using the device to improve his life, playing video games and designing 3D objects with computer-aided design (CAD).
Alex has a spinal cord injury, before which he worked as an automotive technician. Neuralink said that two days after receiving the device, Alex was able to use the CAD software Fusion 360 and designed a custom mount for his Neuralink charger.
“In his free time, Alex continues to use CAD software to turn his design ideas into reality,” Neuralink said in a blogpost. “We hope that in time, the Link helps many people create in their areas of interest and expertise, and we’re excited to work with more people to help them reconnect with their passions.”
Alex is also using Neuralink to play first-person shooter games and said the device is a significant upgrade than just using an assistive device called the Quadstick. The combination allows Alex to move and aim simultaneously when playing his favourite games.
The latest success for Neuralink comes just months after the company implanted one of its devices into Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old man who is paralysed below the shoulders. The company showed a video of Arbaugh playing video games again thanks to the device.
Arbaugh spoke positively about the device, saying it helped him achieve more independence and do some of his hobbies again, but he also noted that there were some issues. In its latest update, Neuralink said it detected “thread retraction” on Arbaugh’s device that reduced performance, but that it has since fixed that issue.
“To reduce the probability of thread retraction in our second participant, we implemented a number of mitigations, including reducing brain motion during the surgery and reducing the gap between the implant and the surface of the brain,” Neuralink said. “Promisingly, we have observed no thread retraction in our second participant.”
Neuralink owner Elon Musk shared the update on X, formerly known as Twitter, and was quick to hype up the success and potential of the study.
“If all goes well, there will be hundreds of people with Neuralinks within a few years, maybe tens of thousands within 5 years, millions within 10 years,” Musk claimed.
Neuralink received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year to run clinical trials on humans, in the form of an investigational device exemption. This allows devices to be used in a clinical study in order to collect “safety and effectiveness data”.
The company has trialled the technology with pigs and monkeys over the years, with one monkey making headlines when it was shown playing the classic video game Pong with its mind.
But like many companies associated with Musk, Neuralink has been hit with controversy in the past. The company faced federal investigation in the US for potential animal welfare violations during its trials.
Neuralink is not the only company looking at the potential of brain-computer interface technology, as various studies are claiming to achieve success in this science-fiction concept.
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