The patients in two Toronto hospitals are currently Canadian Canadians and Elon Musk's Neural Ink brain chips are embedded within the country.
University Health Network (UHN) said in a news release of its operations conducted at Western Toronto Hospital on August 27th and September 3rd that it was the first Canadian hospital to successfully implant a wireless brain computer interface.
Uhn also said the surgery was the first Neuralink operation to be performed outside the United States.
This procedure was part of Canada's accurate robotically implanted brain-computer interface study, a clinical trial assessing the safety and functionality of Neuralink implants and surgical robots. Musk, the world's wealthiest man, co-founded Neuralink in 2016.
“We are extremely proud to be at the forefront of this revolutionary advancement in neurosurgery,” Uhn surgeon Dr. Thomas Forbes said in a statement.
“The results reflect the dedication and expertise of the world's leading surgical and research teams, as well as our commitment to providing the most innovative and effective treatments to our patients.”
The trial, which began last November, aims to enable people with quadriplegia to use their own ideas to control external devices. Its recruitment is still open, and those with limited or capable of using both hands due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be eligible to participate, Uhn said.
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Two Canadian patients live with cervical spinal cord injuries. They will participate in follow-up appointments and research sessions when they learn to use the device, the hospital added.
“The first patient to volunteer in Canada is an astounding individual and has contributed significantly to advances in science and healthcare,” said Dr Andres Rozano, cornerstone chair for Alan and Susan Hudson, UHN's neurosurgery department, in a statement.
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Neuralink implants consist of transmitters attached to ultrafine “threads” that record neural activity. According to the startup website, the implant is so fine that it cannot be inserted by human hands, that the implant is surgically inserted into the patient's brain by a robot.
The implant wirelessly sends electrical signals picked up by the thread to the “neuralink application.” This will decode brain activity into actions, such as moving the mouse to a computer screen. This is how BCIS can “read thoughts.” Typically, these technologies help you identify which brain signals respond to which actions using artificial intelligence or machine learning models.
In January 2024, Neuralink joined something like a similar company that tests human technology for many medical applications, allowing people with disabilities to complete their first implants in the human brain, restore their vision to visual vision, and allow people with disabilities to interact with computers with their own ideas.
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