Nanotechnology company Neuralink, founded in 2016 by Elon Musk, announced Monday that it has chosen the University of Miami School of Medicine in South Florida as the second site for clinical trials of its brain chips.
Miami, Jan 28, 2025 (Lusa) - Nanotechnology company Neuralink, founded in 2016 by Elon Musk, announced Monday that it has chosen the University of Miami's medical school in South Florida as the second location for clinical trials of its brain 'chips'.
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the Miller College of Medicine will serve as the second site in the United States to test these brain implants. The goal is to enable quadriplegic individuals to use computers, according to the University of Miami.
The first feasibility studies will be carried out in the Florida city to evaluate the safety and functionality of the N1 implant, says Efe, about the intracortical implant that establishes a wireless digital connection between the brain and computers.
"This connection is designed to help restore autonomy to people with paralysis by allowing them to control external devices with their thoughts, without the need for wires or physical movements," the university explained.
The studies will be conducted by scientists from Neuralink and a team of neurosurgeons, neuroscientists and biomedical engineers from Project Miami and Miller College.
Neuralink, which is valued at between $5 billion and $8 billion, has received approval to test its technology on paraplegics, allowing them to control robotic arms with their thoughts.
About a year ago, the company announced that it had implanted its first 'chip' into a human, nine months after receiving the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) endorsement,
In November, it also received the 'green light' from Canadian authorities to launch its first brain implant trial in Canada.
