A second patient has successfully got the Neuralink implant

Elon Musk, the owner of Neuralink, has announced that the company has successfully implanted its device in a second patient. The device is designed to enable paralyzed individuals to operate digital devices using only their thoughts.

Neuralink is currently testing the device, which aims to assist people with spinal cord injuries.
Musk mentioned that 400 electrodes on the second patient’s brain are active and functioning well despite the lack of further details, reported Reuters.

Musk did not specify the timing of the second surgery but indicated that Neuralink plans to implant the device in eight more patients this year as part of its clinical trials.

“I don’t want to jinx it but it seems to have gone extremely well with the second implant,” Musk told podcast host Lex Fridman. “There’s a lot of signal, a lot of electrodes. It’s working very well.”
The podcast also featured an interview with Noland Arbaugh, the first patient, and three Neuralink executives, who discussed the implant and the robot-led surgery process. He revealed that beore receiving the implant in January, Arbaugh had to use a stick in his mouth to tap a tablet screen for computer use. Now, he can control the computer just by thinking, which has significantly enhanced his independence and reduced his reliance on caregivers.

Arbaugh initially faced difficulties after his surgery due to the retraction of the tiny wires in the implant, which sharply reduced the number of functional electrodes. Reuters has reported that Neuralink was aware of this issue from its animal trials. Neuralink addressed the problem by making changes, including modifying algorithms to be more sensitive, thereby restoring the implant’s ability to monitor brain signals.
Arbaugh shared that he has improved on his prior world record for controlling a cursor with thoughts alone, even with only about 10-15% of the electrodes working.

Musk elaborated on the progress during the podcast and said, “Arbaugh has improved on his previous world record for the speed at which he can control a cursor with thoughts alone ‘with only roughly 10, 15% of the electrodes working’.”
Additionally, Musk shared that he has spoken with Republican candidate Donald Trump, whom he endorses in the US presidential race. They discussed forming a commission to improve government efficiency by reducing business regulations. Musk expressed his willingness to participate, believing that US regulations currently hinder innovation.