Neuralink successfully implants its chip into the brain of a second patient

A Neuralink brain chip has been implanted in a second patient as part of the first human trial, Elon Musk told podcast host Lex Fridman on Saturday. The company has not disclosed when the operation took place or the name of the recipient, according to Reuters.

Musk said that 400 electrodes in the second patient’s brain that work out of 1,024 have been implanted. “I don’t want to confuse you, but it looks like it went very well,” he said. “There’s a lot of signal, a lot of electrodes. It’s very efficient.”

The device allows patients with spinal cord injuries to play video games, use the Internet and control electronic devices using their thoughts alone. In May, the company announced that it was “accepting applications for a second participant” in trials following FDA approval.

The first Neuralink transplant patient, Nolan Arbaugh, described the surgery as “very easy.” In a demo, the company showed how Arbaugh was able to move a cursor on a laptop screen, pause an on-screen music player and play chess again. Civilization VI.

Arbaugh himself participated in a podcast marathon with Musk and Friedman. He said the device allows him to do anything on the computer just by thinking about it, and has helped reduce his dependence on caregivers.

However, problems arose shortly after his surgery when some of the electrodes became detached from his brain. The problem was partially fixed over time by changing the algorithm to make the tumors more sensitive. Neuralink told the FDA that in a second procedure, it will place the implant threads deep into the patient’s brain to prevent them from moving as they did in Arbaugh’s case.

Neuralink has previously tested its implants on animals, including chimpanzees, and some of those test procedures have been the subject of federal investigations.

Despite those problems, the company said it has more than 1,000 volunteers in its second surgical trial. Musk said he expects Neuralink to implant its chips in up to eight more patients by the end of 2024.