The New Age with Brain Implants

 

The New Age with Brain Implants

In the past decades, many manmade objects have been successfully implanted in the human body. These objects stay inside our bodies and help in the normal functioning of our systems. Some examples are metal ortho implants, valves, stents and pacemakers in the hearts.

In the recent decades, scientists are undertaking research for brain implants – these implants are intended for controlling various functions of the body by transmission of neuro signals from the brain to different parts of the body. Now the question arises, do you think “brain implants” will be possible someday? The answer is yes, it has been successfully implanted this year !

Neural implants

Scientists has been working to develop Neural implants (brain implants) with a set of electronic wires that are attached to specific region of the brain to produce or receive electronic impulse or signals and transmitted to a control unit. A micro-computer then amplifies the signal and sends the signals by wireless means to external AI (Artificial Intelligence) processor device called the Brain – Computer Interface (BCI). This technology is will be effective for diseases like paralysis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and lock-in syndrome.

Nuralink – A BCI Company

Many companies were racing to develop the BCI technology for human beings for a long time. In 2016, Elon Musk, a visionary entrepreneur, founded a company named Nuralink, and hired more than 400 expert scientists to work on BCI technology. In May 2023, Nuralink got the approval for first time from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of USA to conduct human trial of BCI device developed by Neuralink – after successful trial on monkeys.

Finally on Jan 29, 2024, Elon Musk announced that the first human implant has been successfully implanted and the patient is recovering – gaining a worldwide attention and spotlight. And people around the world were anxiously waiting for the news on the person who received the first Nuralink BCI implant. And finally on 21 March, 2024, it was announced that Mr. Noland Arbaugh, aged 29, who was paralyzed from neck down, due to an accident 8 years ago, received the first Nuralink BCI implant and he was shown to control a computer mouse only by using his brain, without any hand movement ! This was a very welcome news all over the world. 

Arbaugh said there are still many improvements needed, but it was a life changing experience for him that he could use a smart phone and a computer only with is mind.

Neuralink said that the BCI chip interprets the neural activity and controls a smart phone by the person’s thought only, without any hand movement. 

The BCI chip consists of very delicate 1000 smaller-than-hair electrodes to be inserted at certain areas of the cerebral cortex of the brain – The surgery was extremely delicate for human surgeons to conduct – so surgery was being done by a robot and it took 6 hours of the robot to implant the Neuralink BCI chip.

Conclusion

Even though, it’s a bit early see the wide public use of BCI in patients, it will not be too long when the deaf will be able to hear, the blind will be able to see, the paralyzed will be able to move, and the thoughts that origin in the human brain can be translated into text and can function smart devices, for which the world is anxiously waiting.

 

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Shuvanjali Manandhar

Class 8

St. Mary’s High School, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur