Neuralink Brain Chip Approved For Human Tests

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Neuralink, a company owned by Elon Musk, got approval in the US. They can test their brain implants on people now.

Neuralink made chips that can go inside heads. They want to connect brains to computers. They say it can help blind people see and paralysed people walk.

Since 2019, Mr. Musk expressed that his company is prepared to conduct experiments on humans to help those with paralysis and blindness. The US Food and Drug Administration, however, refused the company's plans to start clinical trials involving human subjects.

Neuralink tried to conduct human testing in 2022. The FDA said no. The FDA told Neuralink they had many issues to fix.

The FDA raised concerns about Neuralink's device using lithium batteries. They also worried that the wires could mess with the brain.

The government agency is worried. They want to know if the company's implants can be taken out safely. They don't want people to get brain damage.

The US government is checking Neuralink. They are being investigated because of concerns about how they treated their research monkeys. Animal rights watchdogs claim that the company did not take proper care of the animals.

Reuters said the brain chip company killed 1,500 animals. These animals include 280 sheep, pigs, and monkeys. This happened from 2018 and up until now.

The US Department of Agriculture started looking into Neuralink. They're checking if the company broke the Animal Welfare Act.

The company made a statement on their blog about animal abuse complaints. They said that they are dedicated to treating animals with care and ethics.

They carefully planned how to use each animal. It was important to balance science and ethics.

Last November, Mr Musk tweeted that Neuralink's device was ready for human use. He said the start of human trials depended on getting approval from the FDA.

The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX said they want to make sure the device will work before testing it on humans. They already submitted most of the necessary paperwork to the FDA. They expect to upload Neuralink into a human in about six months.

The company got approval from the government to start human trials. This happened on Thursday.

The company for brain chips got approval from the FDA. They can start a clinical study on people. The news made the company excited.

Neuralink said FDA approval is a big step forward. They hope their technology can help many people. They plan to give more information on clinical trial recruitment soon.

The Independent asked FDA about the Neuralink approval. FDA hasn't responded yet.