China News Network on May 5 Comprehensive report, Elon Musk's human brain chip implant company Neuralink announced on the 26th local time that it has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to carry out clinical research on the human body.
Infographic: The logo of Musk and his company Neuralink.
According to AFP, Neuralink said that being able to obtain FDA approval for the first human clinical trial is an "important first step" for "brain-computer interface" technology. However, at present, clinical trial recruitment is not yet open.
Neuralink is a startup founded in 2016. In December 2022, Musk said in his introduction that the company developed implantable chips to enable the human brain to communicate directly with computers.
Musk said: "We have been working hard to implant chips in the head of the brain. Of course, we want to be on high alert before actually implanting the device in the human body and make sure it works well. ”
Musk also said that the technology will be used to help visually impaired and reduced mobility people restore their vision and mobility.
According to Reuters, in early 2022, Neuralink made its first formal application to the FDA, but it was rejected.
The FDA noted at the time that the company still needed to address several issues before conducting human trials. These include the safety of lithium batteries used in implanted human brain devices, whether the implanted tiny wires will move to other parts of the human brain, and how the device can be removed without damaging brain tissue.
In recent years, Musk has publicly laid out ambitious plans for Neuralink. At the end of 2022, Musk said that he was confident in the device developed by the company and was even willing to implant it in his child's brain.