SEVEN paralysed UK patients have had a life-changing brain chip planted in their head allowing them to control a computer with nothing but thoughts.
The group are the first in the UK to take part in a groundbreaking trial using Elon Musk‘s Neuralink chip.
One of the patients, Sebastian Gomez-Pena, says it “feels magical” and gives him “a new piece of hope”.
The medical student lost the use of his limbs after a tragic diving accident when visiting family in Venezuela.
But after having Neuralink’s N1 Implant fitted he can now use a computer and mobile phone just with his thoughts.
It means he can move a cursor on screen and play games like chess against friends.
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Next he hopes to be able to control a keyboard and even a robotic arm sometime in the future.
“It is a massive change in your life when suddenly you can no longer move any of your limbs and this kind of technology gives you a new piece of hope,” Gomez-Pena said.
“Everyone in my position tries to move parts of their body to see if there is any form of recovery.
“Now I can think of moving my hands to the right, to the left and the technology understands what I want it to do – and it does it.”
The seven volunteer patients underwent a five hour operation at UCLH’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) between October and December to have the 8mm chip inserted.
The device connects to 1,024 electrodes in the region of the brain that controls hand movements.
Co-founder Musk, 54, has previously said that eventually Neuralink users should be able to have full body control of one of his Tesla-made Optimus robots.
“Brain-computer interfaces hold tremendous potential for alleviating the devastating impact of neurological conditions such as paralysis, loss of speech, and blindness,” said William Muirhead, consultant neurosurgeon at NHNN and Principal Investigator at UCLH.
“In an increasingly digital world, the ability to navigate technology is a vital aspect of personal agency.
“By restoring this capability, we can provide a powerful way to return autonomy to those with severe paralysis.
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“It has been a privilege to work with our seven study participants; they are brave pioneers of brain-computer interface technology.”
Gomez-Pena and the other six UK patients are now part of 21 volunteers with severe paralysis across the world testing the tech out.
The first was Noland Arbaugh, from Arizona, who had his implant fitted in two years ago this month.
He has now been able to return to education, ten years after being forced to quit due to a paralysing spinal cord injury.
“I can’t even begin to describe how happy I am to be back in school,” he said.
“Not just passing my classes, but doing it in style.
“This is literally the best semester of college (grades-wise) I’ve ever had.
“[Telepathy] has given me back parts of my life that I thought were lost forever, and I’m finally starting to feel like myself again.”
