The neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk, Neuralink, said Monday that it has received approval for a new clinical trial that will determine whether its brain-computer interface can enable patients to control a robotic arm. Dubbed the “CONVOY Study,” the trial will test whether people can use the company’s BCI to operate assistive devices like robotic limbs. This is a major step forward for Neuralink in their quest to develop technology that would enable paralyzed people to have some autonomy by controlling external devices through thought.
The brain-computer interface developed by Neuralink is a neural implant that records the brain signals through 64 threads directly inserted into the brain. It is targeted mainly for people who have mobility impairments. It offers a new form of controlling external devices like computers or smartphones using the thoughts of the user. To date, the company has conducted its Prime Study, involving two human patients implanted with the BCI to test the safety and effectiveness of the system.
The new CONVOY Study, an extension of the company’s research, will investigate whether patients can control a robotic arm using the same BCI technology. Neuralink emphasized that patients involved in the trial will have the opportunity to participate in both the PRIME and CONVOY studies simultaneously. The firm explained that the study represents a critical step toward ensuring enhanced digital and physical independence for patients, but information regarding the trial’s launch date or the number of participants has not been given.
As far as the U.S. tests are concerned, Neuralink issued a statement last week confirming the company has been cleared for its first international test conducted in Canada. The latter, like the PRIME Study, will aim at establishing the safety and feasibility of the BCI system. Candidates for the studies include patients with quadriplegia caused by injury to the spinal cord and neurodegenerative disease ALS. Recruitment for that test has already started.
BCI systems have been the subjects of academic research for a long time. However, nowadays the race in the field is highly competitive as companies such as Synchron, Paradromics, and Precision Neuroscience start to develop their own devices. Despite this, still, no company has reached approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to commercially distribute BCI devices.
