Neuralink makes big breakthrough, Elon Musk says soon it will do miracles like Jesus
Neuralink says it has successfully performed a new surgical technique that could make brain implant procedures safer and less invasive. According to Elon Musk, the company's technology could one day even help blind people see and paralysed people walk again.
Elon Musk's brain-chip company, Neuralink, has announced what it calls a major breakthrough in brain implant surgery. The company says it has successfully implanted its brain-computer interface (BCI) device in a human without cutting through the brain's protective membrane for the first time. The company says the new technique could make future surgeries safer and easier to perform. Reacting to the development, CEO Elon Musk said Neuralink could one day perform "Jesus-level miracles,” by helping paralysed people walk again and restoring vision to people who are blind.
Musk’s comments came after Neuralink announced that it had successfully implanted its device while keeping the dura intact, something it says has never been done before in its human clinical trials.
"Among other things, @Neuralink will enable quadriplegics to use their hands and walk again and the completely blind to see," Musk wrote on X. He added, "Jesus-level miracles."
What's new with Neuralink?
This time, Neuralink has not unveiled a new brain chip. Instead, the company's biggest announcement is a new surgical technique that could make brain implant procedures simpler and safer.
Typically, when surgeons implant electrodes into the brain, they first cut through the dura, a thick, protective membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Often described as the brain's armour, the dura protects it from injury and infection. Because it is extremely tough, neurosurgeons usually need to make an incision through it before accessing the brain tissue underneath.
Neuralink says it has now managed to eliminate that step.
According to the company, its surgical robot inserted the implant's ultra-thin electrode threads directly through the dura and into the brain's cortex while keeping the membrane intact. Neuralink says this is the first time the technique has been used during its ongoing human clinical trials.
Why is this important?
Although it may sound like a small procedural change, leaving the dura intact could have significant benefits.
Cutting through the membrane is one of the most delicate parts of brain surgery and can increase the risk of complications such as infection, bleeding and cerebrospinal fluid leaks. By avoiding that step altogether, the procedure could become safer, more consistent and easier to repeat.
“We like to say 'the best step is no step,' and deleting the durectomy takes one of the most delicate manual steps out of the procedure. This potentially means a safer, more repeatable surgery, and a real path to scaling Neuralink to the many people who could benefit,” says Neuralink.
The company also noted that the dura can be more than 10 times thicker than its hair-thin electrode threads. To achieve the breakthrough, Neuralink says it spent years developing specialised imaging systems and robotic insertion techniques capable of navigating through the membrane while avoiding tiny blood vessels beneath it.
How does the implant work?
Neuralink is developing a brain-computer interface (BCI), a device designed to translate brain signals into digital commands.
The implant contains hundreds of ultra-thin, flexible electrode threads that are placed into the brain's motor cortex. These threads detect electrical activity generated when a person thinks about moving. The signals are then transmitted wirelessly to a computer, where AI algorithms decode them into commands that can control external devices.
For people living with paralysis, this means they may eventually be able to move a computer cursor, type messages, control robotic arms or operate assistive devices simply by thinking.
Several Neuralink trial participants have already demonstrated the ability to browse the internet, play video games and use computers without touching a mouse or keyboard.
For now, however, Neuralink's technology is limited to enabling people with severe paralysis to control digital devices using only their thoughts. While Musk believes the brain chip could eventually help paralysed people walk again and restore vision to people who are blind, these outcomes have not yet been demonstrated in humans and remain part of the company's long-term ambitions.
Elon Musk's brain-chip company, Neuralink, has announced what it calls a major breakthrough in brain implant surgery. The company says it has successfully implanted its brain-computer interface (BCI) device in a human without cutting through the brain's protective membrane for the first time. The company says the new technique could make future surgeries safer and easier to perform. Reacting to the development, CEO Elon Musk said Neuralink could one day perform "Jesus-level miracles,” by helping paralysed people walk again and restoring vision to people who are blind.
Musk’s comments came after Neuralink announced that it had successfully implanted its device while keeping the dura intact, something it says has never been done before in its human clinical trials.
"Among other things, @Neuralink will enable quadriplegics to use their hands and walk again and the completely blind to see," Musk wrote on X. He added, "Jesus-level miracles."
What's new with Neuralink?
This time, Neuralink has not unveiled a new brain chip. Instead, the company's biggest announcement is a new surgical technique that could make brain implant procedures simpler and safer.
Typically, when surgeons implant electrodes into the brain, they first cut through the dura, a thick, protective membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Often described as the brain's armour, the dura protects it from injury and infection. Because it is extremely tough, neurosurgeons usually need to make an incision through it before accessing the brain tissue underneath.
Neuralink says it has now managed to eliminate that step.
According to the company, its surgical robot inserted the implant's ultra-thin electrode threads directly through the dura and into the brain's cortex while keeping the membrane intact. Neuralink says this is the first time the technique has been used during its ongoing human clinical trials.
Why is this important?
Although it may sound like a small procedural change, leaving the dura intact could have significant benefits.
Cutting through the membrane is one of the most delicate parts of brain surgery and can increase the risk of complications such as infection, bleeding and cerebrospinal fluid leaks. By avoiding that step altogether, the procedure could become safer, more consistent and easier to repeat.
“We like to say 'the best step is no step,' and deleting the durectomy takes one of the most delicate manual steps out of the procedure. This potentially means a safer, more repeatable surgery, and a real path to scaling Neuralink to the many people who could benefit,” says Neuralink.
The company also noted that the dura can be more than 10 times thicker than its hair-thin electrode threads. To achieve the breakthrough, Neuralink says it spent years developing specialised imaging systems and robotic insertion techniques capable of navigating through the membrane while avoiding tiny blood vessels beneath it.
How does the implant work?
Neuralink is developing a brain-computer interface (BCI), a device designed to translate brain signals into digital commands.
The implant contains hundreds of ultra-thin, flexible electrode threads that are placed into the brain's motor cortex. These threads detect electrical activity generated when a person thinks about moving. The signals are then transmitted wirelessly to a computer, where AI algorithms decode them into commands that can control external devices.
For people living with paralysis, this means they may eventually be able to move a computer cursor, type messages, control robotic arms or operate assistive devices simply by thinking.
Several Neuralink trial participants have already demonstrated the ability to browse the internet, play video games and use computers without touching a mouse or keyboard.
For now, however, Neuralink's technology is limited to enabling people with severe paralysis to control digital devices using only their thoughts. While Musk believes the brain chip could eventually help paralysed people walk again and restore vision to people who are blind, these outcomes have not yet been demonstrated in humans and remain part of the company's long-term ambitions.
