Elon Musk’s brain chip startup is preparing to implant the device in the first human, as Neuralink started opening the door for applications from volunteers for its first human trial less than two months ago, and thousands of people have reportedly expressed interest in getting one of the company’s brain transplants, here’s how to apply.
According to the “business insider” website, Neuralink is still looking for its first volunteer, but the company hopes to perform surgeries for 11 people next year and more than 22,000 by 2030.
How to apply for a brain chip experiment
There are some conditions that make you eligible for Neuralink experiments on humans, you must have: “quadriplegia, paraplegia, visual impairment or blindness, aphasia or inability to speak, hearing impairment or deafness, amputation of the main limb (affects the upper or lower elbow and/or upper or lower knee)”, and you must also be over 18 years of age.
Individuals who meet these requirements can fill out Neuralink’s patient registration application on the company’s website.
Potential patients must first fill out some screening questions to make sure they meet the above qualifications.
After that, individuals must also fill out a consent form regarding the sharing of their medical records, as well as provide information regarding their primary care provider and permission to provide Neuralink with CT and MRI scans of their head, HIV test results, records of any drugs or alcohol, and genetic testing information.
The application includes a questionnaire that the company says takes about 45 to 60 minutes to complete, after completing the approval form.
The application said that applicants selected for the trial via the patient registration form will eventually be contacted by Neuralink or a third party working with Neuralink.
The study will take about six years and will include several follow-up visits for the company to monitor the device and make sure that it works properly, and patients are also expected to participate in at least two two-hour research sessions per week.
Details of brain slice surgery
Elon Musk co-founded the brain chip startup in 2016, ultimately aiming to create a device that allows people to do anything from communicating remotely to playing games using only their minds.
But first, Neuralink said it hopes to help people with severe neurological disorders by allowing them to control devices and communicate using only brain activity. The company received approval to start human trials from the US Food and Drug Administration in May.
The device is about the size of a small coin and contains several extremely thin wires that can only be implanted using a robot, and the company has reportedly performed more than 150 surgeries using its robot to insert the brain chip into a variety of animal test subjects, including sheep, pigs and monkeys.
The surgery requires a surgeon to cut off part of the patient’s skull, an operation that is said to take “two hours” and then the robot inserts the device to replace the removed skull part.
