On July 6, a doctor at Mount Sinai West Medical Center in New York inserted a 1.5-inch-long implant made of wires and electrodes into a blood vessel in the brain of a patient with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The hope is that the patient, who has lost the ability to move and speak, will be able to surf the web and communicate via email and text just by thinking—the device will translate his thoughts into sent commands to the computer.
Sync, the startup behind the technology, implanted its device in 4 patients in Australia, who experienced no side effects and were able to perform tasks like sending WhatsApp messages and making purchases. goods online. The recent process is the company’s first in the US, ahead of competitors including by Elon Musk Neuralink Corporation. “This surgery is very special because of its significance and great potential,” said Dr. Shahram Majidi, the interventional neurosurgeon who performed the surgery.
