The implant is called Layer 7 which is less than a millimetre thick
The chip transmits this data wirelessly to computers or smartphones and translates it to real-time clicks and keyboard strokes on a phone or computer
Scientists at Precision network have developed a brain implant that would allow users to access social media with their minds. The implant is said to be thinner than human hair and unlike Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chips, this new implant that goes by the name Layer 7 is less invasive and the chip sits on the surface of the brain rather than in the tissue.
The highly experimental brain chip was designed to assist people who are paralyzed or mute to communicate via a computer. However, for healthy people, the implant can be used to access social media with the power of their minds alone.
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The implant which looks like a scotch tape embedded with electrodes is less than a millimetre thick according to Precision Networks’ CEO Michael Mager. Due to its size, it can be placed in one’s brain without damaging tissues in the brain.
To implant the device, surgeons make a very thin slit in the skull and slide it in as if they were putting a letter in a box
While speaking to CNBC, CEO Michael Mager said “‘I think that’s a big advantage compared to technologies that require, for example, a craniotomy, removing a significant portion of the skull, which takes a lot of time and has a lot of risk of infection. I’ve never met anyone who wanted a hole drilled into their skull.’
How Does Layer 7 Work?
The implant when attached to the brain tissue collects signals from the brain and outputs commands by interpreting the signals. The commands are then sent to a connected machine.
Setting the implant into the head does not require shaving the hair due to its tiny size. It has been successfully tested on animals and in the next few months, the FDA may give approval for human trials to begin.
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The implant will be used to cure other neurological conditions in the future as scientists will be able to add more electrodes to the strips. It is reversible and can be removed in the case where the patient changes their mind.
The device has successfully decoded brain signals in animals, and Precision hopes to get FDA approval to test the implant in humans in the next few months.