Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of Twitter, expects his brain-chip startup Neuralink to conduct its first human trial later this year, Reuters reports.
During a webcast at the VivaTech event in Paris, Musk revealed plans to implant the device in a tetraplegic or paraplegic patient.
"At the very beginning, volunteers for the trials will be patients suffering from limb mobility problems."-said Elon Musk.
The startup plans to utilize chips to assist individuals with limited mobility in controlling computer devices. Their concept revolves around enabling people with disabilities to "type" text messages and "scroll" through web pages using the power of their thoughts. Additionally, the development also has the potential for restoring hearing and vision, along with other functionalities, Spot.uz reports.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted permission to Elon Musk's startup, Neuralink, to conduct trials of its technologies on humans at the end of May.
If Neuralink can prove that its device is safe for humans, it will still take several years, potentially more than a decade, for the startup to obtain commercial use clearance. The company is also competing with other neurotechnology companies that have already implanted their devices in humans.
Neuralynx employees rushed animal surgeries to meet Musk's demands for FDA approval, resulting in excessive animal deaths, according to Reuters. The experiments aimed to gather data for human trials.
The USDA's Office of Inspector General is investigating Neuralink for possible violations related to animal welfare. The investigation focuses on the USDA's supervision of Neuralink.
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