Advances In Brain Implants

In the past decades, many man-made 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 recent decades, scientists have undertaken research for brain implants; these implants are intended to control various functions of the body by transmitting 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 have been working to develop neural implants (brain implants) with a set of electronic wires that are attached to specific regions of the brain to produce or receive electronic impulses or signals and transmit them to a control unit. 

A micro-computer then amplifies the signal and sends the signals by wireless means to an external AI (artificial intelligence) processor device called the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). This technology will be effective for diseases like paralysis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and lock-in syndrome.

Nuralink

Many companies have been racing to develop 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 approval for the first time from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the USA to conduct a human trial of the BCI device developed by Neuralink after a successful trial on monkeys.

Finally, on January 29, 2024, Elon Musk announced that the first human implant had been successfully implanted and the patient was recovering, gaining 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. Finally, on March 21, 2024, it was announced that Noland Arbaugh, aged 29, who was paralysed from the 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 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 smartphone and a computer only with his mind.

Neuralink said that the BCI chip interprets the neural activity and controls a smartphone based on the person’s thoughts alone, 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 the surgery was done by a robot, and it took the robot 6 hours to implant the Neuralink BCI chip. 

Conclusion

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

(Grade: VIII, St. Mary’s High School, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur)