By: Josie Mills
What is Neuralink?
Imagine controlling a mobile device - or even a computer - with your brain. This concept seems like something out of a sci-fi movie, yet there is a company attempting to achieve this phenomenon right now.
Neuralink is a neurotechnology company in the process of producing a neural implant known as the Link, which allows a person to control a mobile device or computer with their brain. The company was co-founded in 2016 by Elon Musk and seven other scientists, with its goal being to assist people with paralysis control technological devices and effectively communicate with them.
How the Link Works:
The Link is a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). A BCI is a direct connection between the human brain and a technological device that serves as a mode of communication between the two entities. Hence, the Link connects the brain directly to a mobile device or computer, allowing one to control the device in question.
Attached to the Link are neural threads that contain electrodes for meticulously detecting signals from individual neurons inside the brain. Due to the extremely thin and flexible nature of the neural threads, the process of inserting the Link is complex. The operation takes place under the supervision of a neurosurgeon while a robot developed by Neuralink performs the insertion to ensure complete accuracy in the placement of the neural threads. Thus far, one pig and one monkey have successfully undergone the procedure.
Neuralink Robot. Source: techcrunch.com/2020/08/28/take-a-closer-look-at-elon-musks-neuralink-surgical-robot/
The function of the Link is extremely remarkable, as it can allow those with paralysis to easily control technological devices via the Neuralink app. By simply thinking about performing an action, such as moving one’s hand across the screen, the user will be able to operate the device effectively. Ultimately, the Link removes the movement that is necessary when using a mobile device or computer. Realizing its capability to help people, Neuralink intends to dispatch its technology to those with quadriplegia.
Concerns of the Link:
Is it secure? That seems to be what most people are asking - and reasonably so - in regards to Neuralink.
To combat these security concerns, Neuralink states that the Link will possess intensive security measures such as cryptography, security auditing, and defensive engineering. However, I find that if Neuralink does not sufficiently explain the Link’s security measures to its patients, they may find themselves without willing participants when clinical trials occur.
Future Projections of Neuralink:
With time, the Link will be able to perform a wide variety of medical-related tasks for many patients with diverse concerns. It is likely that the Link will even be released to the general public in the future, provided that Neuralink uncovers practical uses for its technology.
Currently pending FDA approval, Musk believes Neuralink will be ready for human clinical trials soon. However, it is important to mention a key competitor of Neuralink known as Synchron, which received FDA approval in July 2021 for six clinical trial patients in the United States. Thus far, Synchron has already dispatched its BCI to four people in Australia. Therefore, there is certainly competition in the BCI market, and right now Neuralink is falling behind.
This competition between Neuralink and Synchron naturally draws attention to the rate at which each company is willing to innovate and tackle more medical issues. I believe that the rapid progression of BCI technology will result in patients being reluctant to get the current version of a BCI. This is because as of right now, the removal and insertion process of BCI is tedious. Thus, people will likely be hesitant to get the current version of a BCI unless removal and insertion are easily performed.
Also, depending on the Link’s capabilities, it is likely that some medications will simply be unnecessary in the population. One example of this will likely be seen in the seizure medication market, as the Link could possess the ability to sense a seizure via its neural threads. After sensing the seizure, the Link will stimulate a neural signal that prevents or stops it. This capability will have a negative impact on the pharmacy industry because the Link will be a one-time fix for people who previously relied on seizure medications.
Although Neuralink is currently behind in the competition, the backing of Elon Musk and the attention he will inevitably draw to the technology leads me to believe that the Link will succeed. Furthermore, given that the Link will likely replace the need for some medications and will be provided to the general public for non-medical reasons in the future, I feel that Neuralink will be a profitable endeavor. Yet, regardless of whether or not Neuralink succeeds, the Link is certainly a disruptive technology that will flip the healthcare industry upside down.
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Cover Photo: https://unsplash.com/p
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