Elon Musk’s company Neuralink, which made significant strides in neurotechnology, reported an issue with its brain implant. In a blog post on Wednesday, the California-based firm revealed that several threads of the implant retracted into the brain of 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh, according to CNBC.
Neuralink, which aims to use its brain-computer interface (BCI) to help paralyzed patients control external devices through their minds, did not disclose the exact number of retracted threads.
The Link system records neural signals using 1,024 electrodes distributed across 64 “threads” that are thinner than a strand of human hair. In January, the company implanted the device in Arbaugh, and in March, a live-streamed video showed him playing chess using his BCI.
Neuralink initially stated that the surgery was “extremely well” executed. However, the subsequent retraction of threads reduced the number of functioning electrodes, hampering the Link’s speed and accuracy.
The company adjusted its recording algorithm, enhanced the user interface, and improved techniques to translate signals into cursor movements. Despite these challenges, Arbaugh uses the BCI system for up to eight hours daily during the week and sometimes as many as 10 hours on weekends.
Arbaugh described the Link as a “luxury overload” and noted that it has helped him “reconnect with the world,” according to Neuralink’s post.
