News Excerpt:

The first human patient has received an implant from brain-chip startup Neuralink.

More on the news:

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had given the company clearance last year to conduct its first trial to test its implant on humans.

• • The first product from Neuralink would be called Telepathy.

• The startup's PRIME Study is a trial for its wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) to evaluate the safety of the implant and surgical robot.
• Its initial goal is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.
  • The startup's ambition is to help patients overcome paralysis and a host of neurological conditions.
• The study uses a robot to surgically place a BCI implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move.

• • The implants' "ultra-fine" threads help transmit signals in participants' brains. 

• Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.
• Spikes are activity by neurons, which the National Institute of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body.

Concerns raised with the trials:

• The company has faced calls for scrutiny regarding its safety protocols.
• The company was fined for violating U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules regarding the movement of hazardous materials.
• Four lawmakers in last year asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether the company had misled investors about the safety of its technology after veterinary records showed problems with the implants on monkeys included paralysis, seizures and brain swelling.
• However the company has said that no monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant.
• The company chose "terminal" monkeys to minimise risk to healthy ones.