Neuralink, a biotechnology start-up co-founded by Elon Musk, reported a mechanical failure with its first human brain-computer interface implant. Initially implanted in the brain of 29-year-old quadriplegic Noland Arbaugh in January 2024, the novel device met with complications just weeks later. Despite earlier positive announcements about Arbaugh’s recovery and promising neuron detection rates, Neuralink identified that some of the implant’s threads had dislodged, negatively impacting data transfer rates.
“In the weeks following the surgery, a number of threads retracted from the brain, resulting in a net decrease in the number of effective electrodes,” the company revealed in a blog post. Neuralink did not specify how many threads de-attached.
The failure suggests potential flaws in the design of Neuralink’s brain-computer implant, which features a coin-sized puck containing a battery, processing chip, and other necessary electronics. The implant also contains 64 thin, flexible threads, which are surgically inserted into brain tissue to pick up signals from neurons. Yet post-implant, a number of these threads retracted from the brain, leading to a decline in signal quality and effectiveness.
Neuralink has yet to explain why the threads dislodged, although the movement of the brain within the skull could be a contributing factor. Critics argue that lessons could be learned from existing technology, such as the Utah array, which, although not wireless, presents fewer mechanical issues.
