Neuralink unveils trial linking brain implant to robotic arm

Brain computer interface (BCI) company Neuralink has been given regulatory approval to start a new trial of its implant to see if it can be used to control a robotic arm.

If it proves to be effective, the combination of the technologies would be transformative for patients who are paralysed due to spinal cord injury (SCI) or neurogenerative disorders like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

At the moment, Neuralink's N1 implant is being tested for its ability to allow patients to control a cursor on a computer screen using their thoughts alone, so control of a robotic arm would represent a major step up in its functionality.

In a post on X.com, Neuralink said it had been granted regulatory approval for "a new feasibility trial to extend BCI control using the N1 implant to an investigational assistive robotic arm," adding that it is "an important first step towards restoring not only digital freedom, but also physical freedom."

The new study, called CONVOY, will be able to cross-enrol patients in its ongoing PRIME study of the N1 device, which aims to enrol up to five subjects and has reported preliminary results with the first two to receive the implant.

At the moment, details of CONVOY are sketchy, but Neuralink has promised to reveal more information later.

N1 relies on the use of micron-scale threads that are inserted into areas of the brain that control movement or receive sensory information, with each thread containing multiple electrodes that can detect neural signals. The threads are so fine that they have to be implanted using a surgical robot.

News of the CONVOY has come just a few days after Neuralink reported that had also been given the green light to run its first international study of the N1 implant and R1 robotic implantation system. The study in Canada – CAN-PRIME – will enrol around six subjects with severe tetraplegia (also known as quadriplegia) due to SCI or ALS.

The main objective is to gauge the safety of the implant and the surgical procedure to place it, but the study will also measure cognition – including attention, memory, language, and orientation – as well as anxiety and depression.

In September, Neuralink was awarded breakthrough status from the FDA for another BCI, dubbed Blindsight – that is designed to restore the sight of people with vision impairment, even if they have lost both eyes and their optic nerve.

Photo by Cash Macanaya on Unsplash