MIAMI – Neurosurgeons in Miami are on the cutting edge of a big breakthrough in technology.
“This device that Neuralink has made is really state of the art in terms of its size, in terms of its integration onto the brain’s surface,” said Dr. Alan Levi, Director of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.
Neuralink is the high tech company backed by billionaire businessman Elon Musk.
The program is designed for patients with paralysis because of spinal cord injuries or people with ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Neuralink selected the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as its second site to conduct clinical trials on the innovative idea.
Levi is a neurosurgeon and clinical director for the school.
“The device or implant is surgically placed onto the brain,” he said. “There are wires or very fine electrodes - a fraction of a size of a hair that are planted onto the cerebral cortex of the brain.”
It’s a delicate procedure that could allow paralysis patients to even play video games by just thinking of their actions.
The chip inserted by neurosurgeons and a robotic arm uses electric signals to learn the thinking habits of its host and transmits that data via Bluetooth to another apparatus, like a mouse or phone, allowing the simultaneous movement.
The technology could signal a major stride for people like Mark Buonicotti.
We hope this represents another important avenue to finding solutions for millions living with paralysis,” he said.
“The actual implant itself is somewhere between a quarter and a silver dollar in terms of its diameter,” said Levi.
The trial is aimed at ensuring the technology is safe and effective.