Neuralink's First Brain Chip Implant Faces Technical Issue

Photo : X / @ModdedQuad

Noland Arbaugh, the recipient of Neuralink's pioneering brain implant in January of this year, found himself at the center of a pivotal moment in neurotechnology as Elon Musk's startup encountered a technical setback. Initially celebrated for his ability to control video games and online activities through his mind, Arbaugh's experience took a turn when issues arose with the implanted chip.

Neuralink's innovative implant enables patients to harness their thoughts to navigate and interact with computers, heralding a new era of neural interfacing. However, a blog post from the company revealed that the implant encountered challenges mere weeks after the surgery. The primary issue stemmed from the retraction of some threads within the implant, resulting in a reduction in data transmission.

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The Link, as Neuralink's system is dubbed, relies on 1,024 electrodes spread across 64 threads, each finer than a human hair, to capture neural signals. However, the retraction of threads severely impeded the company's ability to measure the device's performance in terms of speed and accuracy. Despite the lack of disclosure regarding the exact number of threads affected, Neuralink implemented refinements in recording algorithms and signal translation techniques to address the setback.

Despite these challenges, Arbaugh continues to utilize the system for extended periods, spending up to eight hours on weekdays and as many as 10 hours on weekends interfacing with Neuralink's technology. Although the technical glitch prompted consideration of removing the implant, it was deemed that the issue did not pose an immediate threat to Arbaugh's safety.

The problem came to light when Arbaugh himself reported the issue, as detailed by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Following the inquiry from WSJ, Neuralink published the blog post addressing the matter.

The brain implant surgery, streamed live by Neuralink in March, was initially hailed as a success. However, the recent revelation sheds light on the intricacies and challenges inherent in the development and deployment of advanced neural interface technology, underscoring the ongoing quest to unlock the full potential of brain-computer interfacing for medical and therapeutic applications.