Neuralink Aims to Perfect its Brain Implant on the Second Try

Noland Arbaugh became a quadriplegic after a swimming accident in 2016. In January of this year, he became the first person to receive Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain implant, known as the Link, which aims to grant him telekinetic abilities.

“I didn’t have anything to wake up for in the morning, and this has changed that for me,” Arbaugh said in an interview with Good Morning America. With the implant, Arbaugh can control his computer almost entirely by thought, replacing the stylus he previously used with his teeth. He describes this new mind-control ability as a life-changing improvement.

The Link Implant

The Link implant is roughly the size of a large coin and contains 1,024 electrodes on 64 leads, or “threads,” connected to various brain regions controlling motor functions. These threads, which are about 4 micrometers thick and 20 mm long, are finer than a human hair.

Due to their small size, placing the implant requires absolute precision. Neuralink developed a special proprietary robot, the R1, to perform this micro-procedure. The R1 uses needle tips just slightly larger than a red blood cell to minimize brain tissue damage during installation.

Arbaugh’s procedure went smoothly, and he was released from the hospital the next day without any side effects. Within a month, he learned to control his computer’s mouse cursor via Bluetooth using his thoughts.

The implant, placed just under his scalp, is nearly invisible. It uses induction charging and has a battery life of about eight hours before needing a recharge. Arbaugh uses his telekinetic abilities to play games like Chess, Mario Kart, and Civilization VI, sometimes playing overnight until the battery completely drains.

Recently, some of the threads in Noland’s implant have started to fail by retracting from his brain tissue. This issue has led to a decrease in the “bits-per-second (BPS)” rate, affecting how quickly Arbaugh can control his computer with his mind.

While Neuralink has not specified the exact number of retracted threads, they managed to address the data loss from the reduced number of threads and even improved the Link implant’s performance beyond its original capabilities by reworking the algorithm.

Neuralink’s Response to Thread Retraction

“In the weeks following the surgery, several threads retracted from the brain, reducing the number of effective electrodes,” Neuralink stated in a blog post. “This led to a reduction in BPS. To address this, we adjusted the recording algorithm to better detect neural population signals, enhanced the methods to translate these signals into cursor movements, and improved the user interface. These refinements resulted in a rapid and sustained improvement in BPS, surpassing Noland’s initial performance.”

They believe the retraction might be due to pneumocephalus, where air trapped inside the skull post-surgery causes some threads to disconnect. Neuralink considered removing the implant entirely before adjusting the sensitivity of the electrodes and achieving better BPS.

Arbaugh’s Testimonial on the Life-Changing Effects of the Link Implant

Arbaugh was very emotional when faced with the possibility of losing the implant. “It was very, very hard to give up all the amazing things I was able to do. I think I cried afterwards,” he said. He added, “[The Link] has helped me reconnect with the world, my friends, and my family. It’s given me the ability to do things on my own again without needing my family at all hours of the day and night.”

Arbaugh is now doing well and is very thankful after the algorithm updates restored his abilities. There are no safety concerns for his health and well-being, despite some threads remaining displaced.

Elon Musk is now looking for a second human participant for clinical trials, open to those with quadriplegia or ALS. Interested individuals can register on Neuralink’s website.

Neuralink is accepting applications for the second participant.

This is our Telepathy cybernetic brain implant that allows you to control your phone and computer just by thinking.

No one can tell you about the first better than Noland (@ModdedQuad) himself! https://t.co/k9DaZ3xr5g

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 17, 2024

Musk and Neuralink hope that future versions of the hardware will not only allow for mind-controlled cursors and keyboards but also restore movement in individuals with spinal cord damage.

Neuralink has faced controversy, with over a dozen monkey deaths in early trials. Although Musk claims only terminally ill monkeys were tested, some Neuralink employees have reported otherwise.

However, the FDA has approved human testing, which could mean a significant advancement for quadriplegics in the near future.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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