On the 8th local time, Musk's brain-computer interface company "Neural Connection" said that the company's first subject implanted with a brain-computer interface device had a problem with the device in his body, and the staff had repaired the software. At present, this problem does not directly threaten the personal safety of the subject.
Source: Internet
The first test has a problem with the electrodes in the body
The "Neural Connection" company published an article on its official website on the 8th, saying that a few days ago, the company's first subject implanted with a brain-computer interface device had problems with some electrodes in the body, which affected the speed and accuracy of the equipment. The article does not disclose the number of electrodes in question, but notes that the company has modified the algorithm and fixed the related software. Bloomberg, citing researchers, reported that the problem may have occurred because the subject's head movements caused the device to move or fall off. According to data published by Neural Connect, the subject currently spends about 8 to 10 hours a day using the device, during which time he can communicate with the outside world through his brain awareness.
Neural Connections received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2023 to conduct human clinical studies. In January this year, the company completed the first human implantation surgery of a brain-computer interface device. Subject suffered a spinal cord injury in a diving accident many years ago and was unable to move from the shoulder down. After the surgery, he was able to use his consciousness to control external devices, and he also used the computer to play chess and play games.
From a global perspective, brain-computer interface technology has made great progress, but it is still far from being truly commercialized on a large scale, and faces technical bottlenecks including practicality, ethics, privacy and other obstacles. Among them, the safety of implants in the human body has been controversial and worried.
Not a normal occurrence with brain-implanted devices
According to some professionals, the above problems may be caused by the electrode wires connected to the device located inside the skull, rather than directly connected to the surface of the brain tissue. They point out that brain tissue moves considerably within the intracranial space, whereas traditionally, brain implant devices are placed directly on the surface of brain tissue and are able to move like a boat on water. Therefore, detachment of wires is not a normal phenomenon of brain-implanted devices.
It is important to know that the brain is a fairly complex organ, with at least 86 billion neurons, each of which has thousands of connections, forming a huge network. A "neural connection" brain-computer interface device is an invasive brain implant that uses nerve signals to control external devices to help severely paralyzed patients regain the ability to communicate with the outside world.
The 64 wires of the N1 implant (brain-computer chip), which eventually entered the clinic, are thinner than a human hair, and 1,024 electrodes are distributed on it, which can directly connect to neurons and record neural activity. In other words, the device can monitor the activity of up to 1024 channels of neurons at the same time, although this is only one billionth of the total number of neurons in the human brain.
It is understood that the name of the "first tester" is Noland Arbaugh and he is 29 years old. He underwent nerve connection surgery in January. The surgery went smoothly and I was discharged from the hospital the day after surgery.
Now, however, many of the wires have fallen out of Arbaugh's brain, meaning the number of active electrodes is smaller, limiting the company's ability to measure the speed and accuracy of its brain-computer chips. "Neural connections" does not reveal exactly how many wires are detached from the brain.
As a solution, Neural Connections said they modified the recording algorithms, enhanced the user interface, and worked to improve the technology that converts signals into cursor movements. Neural Connections has reportedly considered removing the implant, although the issue does not yet pose an immediate risk to Arbaugh's safety.
Currently, "Neural Connectivity" is looking to implant their devices in more human subjects. Any glitches could result in delays in the FDA approval process.
The company was in the midst of controversy
Musk has high hopes for the "Neural Connection" project, which he hopes to use to treat diseases such as obesity, autism, depression and schizophrenia. In 2023, the valuation of "Neural Connection" will reach about $5 billion.
Brain-computer interface technology is regarded as a cutting-edge technology with huge medical potential, coupled with Musk's own traffic attributes, so since the "neural connection" was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trials in 2023, its related progress has been highly anticipated.
In 2023, thousands of people lined up to get brain implants from Musk's brain-computer interface company.
According to Neural Connection's October 4, 2023 reply to a reporter's interview email, the company is recruiting patients with diseases including quadriplegia, paraplegia, hearing loss, major amputation, and cataracts. However, Cai Lei, a ALS fighter and former vice president of JD.com, believes that brain-computer interfaces cannot save lives, but can only increase communication, and he said in an interview with reporters on September 23, 2023, "I personally do not have time to participate in the trial at present."
The concept of brain-computer interface originated from the idea of Jacques Vidal, a computer scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1973, that is, electrodes placed on the scalp can detect real-time signals from the brain and be translated into control computers.
It is important to note that the progress of "neural connectivity" is not industry-leading. Musk's most focused opponent is Synchron, whose clinical trials were approved earlier. It is reported that the company has already used 6 severely paralyzed people to perform simple digital device operation with Synchron equipment in 2023, and will end this round of feasibility trials in August 2024.
In fact, the controversy surrounding "neural connections" has continued over the past few years.
The U.S. Department of Transportation fined Neural Connections $2,480 for irregularities in transporting dangerous goods such as toxic gases, xylene, as a result of a complaint by the Responsible Physicians Council.
Another major controversy over the "neural connection" is that its early animal experiments have caused too many animal deaths. Neuroconnect's trial reportedly resulted in the death of more than 1,500 animals, and an employee wrote internally that the company's rush had caused many employees to be overstressed and ill-prepared, thereby increasing unnecessary suffering and death in the test animals.
In November 2023, four U.S. lawmakers jointly asked the SEC to investigate whether Musk misled investors about the safety of his technology, after Musk said on platform X that "no monkeys died due to the implantation of 'neural connections'."
In addition to the animal ethics controversy, many people have also criticized the technological path of "neural connection" and Musk's grand vision. According to the Council of Responsible Doctors, Musk's goal is to "achieve symbiosis with artificial intelligence" through "neural connection" technology, but such a path does not necessarily coincide with the best way to treat patients. In addition, non-invasive brain-computer interfaces have shown progress in improving patient health, and the craniotomy method of "neural connection" may pose unnecessary risks.
Miguel Nicolellis, a professor of neuroscience at Duke University School of Medicine in the United States and known as the "father of brain-computer interfaces", has previously said that invasive brain-computer interfaces are for scientific research and are not the best choice for patients, and implantation methods should be limited to very severe cases.
Source: WeChat public account "Caizhi Headlines" is synthesized from: Daily Economic News, Interface News, Surging News, Finance Associated Press, etc
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