Brain startup beats Elon Musk's Neuralink - putting implant into brain of ALS patient in NYC

A 48-year-old patient in New York City who is unable to move and speak due to severe paralysis from ALS became the first to receive a permanent brain implant that could allow him to communicate telepathically - a milestone for Synchron, the startup behind the technology, which beat Elon Musk's Neuralink to the punch with its advance. The procedure took place July 6 at Mount Sinai West medical center in Manhattan, where a 1.5-inch long implant - a brain-computer interface (BCI) as a stentrode - made of wires and electrodes was implanted into the patient's brain without the need for cutting into their skull or damaging tissue. 'The first-in-human implant of an endovascular BCI in the U.S. is a major clinical milestone that opens up new possibilities for patients with paralysis,' said Dr. Tom Oxley, CEO & Founder of Synchron, in a statement. 'The first-in-human implant of an endovascular BCI in the U.S. is a major clinical milestone that opens up new possibilities for patients with paralysis,' said Dr. Tom Oxley, CEO & Founder of Synchron, in a statement. 'Our technology is for the millions of people who have lost the ability to use their hands to control digital devices.