Elon Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink has taken the initiative to start brain chip clinical trials in the United Kingdom, aiming to help the paralyzed people.
The company has announced the expansion of human trials in collaboration with University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) and Newcastle Hospitals on its X official account.
The purpose of the study is to install N1 chips under the skulls of the patients living with paralysis, aiding them to control digital and physical tools with their thoughts.
The UK has become the first European country to conduct such a study, exhibiting the major leap in Neuralink’s mission to bring its brain-interface technology to deserving people.
Neuralink posted on the X: “ The launch of this study in Great Britain builds upon the successes of our trials in the US and marks an important step towards bringing our life-changing BCI technology to individuals with neurological disorders around the world.”
Backed by billions in funding
Founded in 2016, Neuralink has raised about $1.3 billion in funding from investors. Recently, the funding round brought in $650 million, bringing the company’s valuation closer to $9 billion.
The trial has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The operations will use Neuralink’s R1 surgical robot.
According to Professor Harith Akram, a consultant neurosurgeon at UCLH said: “The trials represent a major milestone in the development of BCI technology with the potential to transform the lives of people living with neurological issues.”
Audrey Crews, a paralysed woman, has written her name after two decades for the very first time after implanting the Neuralink’s brain chip N1. This chip also known as “The Link” connects the brain's motor cortex through ultra-thin threads.
These threads equipped with the electrodes, pick up neural signals-electrical activity generated by the person’s thoughts about actions.
The company began human trials in 2024 on its brain implant after addressing safety concerns raised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which had initially rejected Neuralink’s application in 2022.