According to Neuralink, the patient, named Alex, did not experience thread retraction unlike the first patient, and was discharged from Barrow Neurological Institute. He can now play video games and is learning 3D design software - just by thinking about it.
Neuralink’s brain chip, which allows paralyzed individuals to control gadgets with their minds, has shown impressive results. The first patient, Noland, initially faced a thread retraction issue that momentarily affected his Brain-computer interface (BCI) performance. The threads have stabilised, and the performance of Noland's Link has since recovered.
To avoid complications in its second patient, it had added procedures such as reducing brain motion during surgery and decreasing the distance between the implant and the brain's surface.
As their next step, Neuralink plans to test devices that are intended for people with spinal cord injuries.So far, the chip has assisted recipients in playing video games, posting on social media, and web browsing, among other activities. The company's future objectives include creating algorithms to discern handwriting intent for speedier text entry. These capabilities would not only aid in restoring digital autonomy for those who are unable to use their limbs, but also the capacity to communicate for those who are unable to talk, such as people with neurological disorders like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
