Elon Musk’s Neuralink could be one step closer to implanting chips in human brains.
The company is in talks with Barrow Neurological Institute, an Arizona-based neurological disease treatment and research organization, as a potential partner, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Musk, who believes the chips will cure intractable conditions such as paralysis and blindness, said in November that Neurlink was aiming for human trials in six months.
The news follows the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejecting Neuralink’s application on March 2 to begin human trials due to dozens of safety issues the company failed to address, Reuters reported.
The concerns included the device’s lithium battery; the potential for the implant´s tiny wires to migrate to other areas of the brain; and questions over whether and how the device can be removed without damaging brain tissue.
Reuters reports that Neuralink has since been working to address the FDA’s concerns. The progress on the issues is unclear.
Sources said that while Neuralink is in talks with Barrow Neurological Institute, the company is also speaking with other centers that could not be verified.
