Elon Musk’s newest ventures, Neuralink, a small, less invasive device for deep brain stimulation!
The Neuralink implant, which is also known as the “Link,” is a coin-sized brain implant which can be embedded on the cortical surface of the brain. The implant is a mini-deep brain stimulator comprising of tiny wires. Each of the wires is five times thinner than human hair.
How does it work?
The wires continuously record 1024 channels of neural signals simultaneously. It runs on a rechargeable battery which has the capacity to run for 24 hours. Moreover, Neuralink has a six-axis inertial measurement unit to track head position and movement, sensors to measure temperature, pressure, etc. Additionally, the link has a Bluetooth Low Energy antenna which connects it with an app on the user’s smartphone.
Neuralink can be implanted through the skull without the need of general anaesthesia. In fact, the patient can get it implanted in the outpatient department and the process takes less than an hour. Musk made the process even simpler by introducing a prototype of the surgical robot which can automate the implantation process. Its imaging technology can aid in avoiding the vessels to avoid bleeding while the wires are embedded in the brain. Two-photon microscopy can confirm whether the device is functioning properly or not.
Above all, Neuralink can be potentially removed or upgraded without any hassle.
Advantages of Neuralink:
It is designed to aid in managing brain and spine disorders like memory loss, blindness, and paralysis.
Future Prospects:
It has future aims of benefitting patients with autism and non-linguistic communication problems. There is still more to determine regarding what population and disease can be benefitted from the innovative Neuralink.
