Elon Musk's Neuralink implant experiences temporary problem

Neuralink said that the first human implant had a problem in the weeks following the historic surgery. Since then, the company made improvements to the algorithm.

Elon Musk's startup Neuralink announced Wednesday that the first human implant temporarily encountered a problem in the weeks following the surgery. 

The company in January implanted its brain-computer interface (BCI) into Noland Arbaugh for the first time as part of a study to see if quadriplegic patients are able to control a computer or mobile device with their mind.

Wednesday marked more than 100 days since the surgery. Since then, Arbaugh has been able to use the system for various applications, like playing online chess and Sid Meier's Civilization VI. Previously, he relied on a digital interface that was a mouth-held tablet stylus or mouth stick, that had to be put in place by a caregiver.

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The N1 Implant is "designed to record neural activity through 1,024 electrodes distributed across 64 flexible leads" otherwise known as "threads," which are thinner than a human hair, according to Neuralink's website. 

However, 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," Neuralink said Wednesday.

This resulted in a reduction in bits-per-second (BPS), which is how the company measures the speed and accuracy of cursor control.

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To fix that, Neuralink said it "modified the recording algorithm to be more sensitive to neural population signals, improved the techniques to translate these signals into cursor movements, and enhanced the user interface." 

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In turn, the company noticed a "rapid and sustained improvement in BPS, that has now superseded" Arbaugh's initial performance.

The company's goal is to eventually advance the functionality of the implant, so quadriplegic patients will be able to control robotic arms, wheelchairs, and other technologies "that may help increase independence."