Elon Musk's Neuralink Begins Recruiting Quadriplegics For First-Of-Kind Human Trials To Help Users Control Machines With Their Thoughts

Innovative brain implant startup Neuralink Corp., steered by visionary billionaire Elon Musk, is making strides toward turning its ambitious concept into reality. The company recently announced it has begun recruiting patients for a crucial clinical trial.

The pivotal move was shared via a blog post, where Neuralink stated its objective to enlist patients suffering from quadriplegia as a result of cervical spinal cord injuries or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The aim of the trial is to evaluate the potential and safety of Neuralink's cutting-edge tool that could empower individuals to control external gadgets using their thoughts.

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Highlighting its immediate objective, the company stated, "The primary focus is to enable individuals to operate a computer cursor or keyboard solely through their thoughts."

This development comes as a significant milestone for Neuralink, a company that has consistently managed to capture the world's attention with its aspirations for brain implant technology.

While Musk has often shared ambitious visions for Neuralink, such as facilitating the rapid learning of languages or enabling thought-to-thought communication, he has stated that the initial goal remains to assist those with brain injuries.

In the race to achieve this future-tech, Neuralink isn't alone. Other corporations have ventured into similar territories. For instance, Synchron Inc. has implanted a device in a U.S. patient. However, its approach is distinctive, as it inserts the device through blood vessels instead of a direct brain procedure. The implant is strategically maneuvered into the brain after making a surgical incision at the base of the neck. 

Musk, an avid entrepreneur and futurist, is the founder or CEO of a number of futuristic startups. From Tesla Inc. to The Boring Company, Musk continues to make progress on a number of fronts others aren't anywhere near as advanced. 

Neuralink, like many of Musk's adventurous startups, has seen a substantial rise in recent years. The startup is now valued at more than $5 billion, adding to the magnate's substantial personal net worth. The meteoric rise of startups like Neuralink has prompted a rise in startup investing in recent years, especially among retail investors on platforms like StartEngine. This includes StartEngine itself, which has raised over $18 million from retail investors in its ongoing raise. 

Neuralink secured preliminary Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its trailblazing trial in May under the investigational device exemption. The provision allows manufacturers of medical devices to progress with human trials. The company also confirmed receiving the green light from the undisclosed hospital where the inaugural surgeries are slated to be performed.

The journey from here to extensive trials and eventual large-scale deployment is expected to be lengthy. Professor Victor Krauthamer of George Washington University, who once helmed the FDA's Division of Biomedical Physics, said in May, "It usually takes years."

For those keenly following the progression of brain implant technologies, Neuralink's recent announcement offers a glimmer of the future.

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