Featured Image Credit: AC NewsPhoto / Alamy Stock Photo. Twitter/Neuralink
Topics: Elon Musk, Technology
Stewart Perrie
Topics: Elon Musk, Technology
The FDA has officially approved Elon Musk's Neuralink company to begin human trials.
It has been a long road to this moment and a hell of a lot of work and tinkering done to make sure the technology is safe to be inserted into people.
According to Neuralink's website, they are 'aiming to design a fully implantable, cosmetically invisible brain-computer interface to let you control a computer or mobile device anywhere you go'.
They added: "Micron-scale threads would be inserted into areas of the brain that control movement. Each thread contains many electrodes and connects them to an implant called the 'Link'.
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"The threads on the Link are so fine and flexible that they can’t be inserted by the human hand.
"Instead, we are building a robotic system that is designed to reliably and efficiently insert these threads exactly where the neurosurgeon wants them to be."
Musk said this type of technology would be brilliant for those who might be quadriplegic and cannot move a computer mouse.
During an interview with TED's Chris Anderson, he said Neuralink would be helping treat brain and spinal injuries 'for nearly a decade', as well as addressing morbid obesity and other health conditions.
The tech genius said they have been working hard to ensure the Nerualink implant can be upgradable, is affordable and is safe.
That last part is obviously the most important and it looks like they are ready to take that next step.
The company's Twitter account says the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is giving them the green light.
"We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study!" it said.
"This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA and represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people.
"Recruitment is not yet open for our clinical trial. We’ll announce more information on this soon!"
There will probably be no shortage of people who will want to sign up to be the first to try the incredible new technology.
Musk teased in December last year that Neuralink should be able to get approval for human trials by the middle of 2023.
During a Show and Tell presentation, he illustrated how one of their test monkeys managed to learn how to move the cursor on a computer using just their brain.
The implant was so small that it was difficult to see on the livestream and it allowed the animal to spell out words and say something.