Canadian patients get Elon Musk’s Nueralink brain chip

Two Canadians with spinal cord injuries have undergone surgery to use a Neuralink chip to control computers with their thoughts.

The surgeries have been deemed a success so far, and are being called a milestone towards helping people with paralysis, according to a report on the Toronto Star. A doctor with Toronto’s University Health Network says that the two young men have adapted well and could move a mouse cursor with their mind after the procedure.

Doctor Andres Lozano, who performed the surgery, says that the first patient who received their implant can now even play video games, although the Star report doesn’t mention what games. The doctor just said, “He can type by just thinking about moving from one character or keyword to another.”

Dr. Lozano was expecting there to be more of an adoption period, but he says that both people were able move a cursor within minutes without any instructions.

The neuralink startup has grown to become one of the most popular in its field due to backing from Elon Musk. Few people have undergone the surgery since early 2024 with only 10 Americans and the two Canadians who recently did the procedure.

The Canadian trial with the new device should have six total patients to help Canadian regulators evaluate the new technology. Currently there are four people enrolled and the trial is looking for two more according to the Star report.

Source: The Toronto Star