Elon Musk’s research company Neuralink has been granted approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct brain implant experiments.
“We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study!” Neuralink tweeted on Wednesday.
The company said the FDA’s approval is “an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people.”
Neuralink’s goal is to develop a brain-machine interface technology that establishes a direct connection between the human brain and a computer.
The brain-implant research hopes to address neurological conditions such as paralysis, spinal cord injuries, and various brain disorders.
Recruitment for clinical trials is not yet open, the company added.
Anyone interested in participating in future clinical trials can register their contact information on Neuralink’s patient registry.
The clinical trial involves implanting a “neural lace” chip that establishes a connection between the brain and an external computer.
Neuralink’s clinical trials are open to any U.S. resident who is at least 18 years old, and who has quadriplegia, paraplegia, vision loss, hearing loss, and/or the inability to speak.
According to the company website, “If you participate in the Patient Registry and we determine that you meet preliminary eligibility for future clinical trials, we may contact you to inform you of these trials once they become available.”
