Billionaire founder of Neuralink, Elon Musk, announced on Monday that the brain-chip startup successfully implanted the first human patient on Sunday and the individual is currently in good health.

Musk stated on platform X that the initial findings indicate successful detection of neuron spikes.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the company approval to carry out its initial human trial for testing its implant.

Musk stated in a separate post on X that the initial offering from Neuralink would be named Telepathy.

The PRIME Study, conducted by the startup, is a test of their wireless brain-computer interface to assess the safety of both the implant and surgical robot.

According to the company’s website, the research will evaluate the effectiveness of the interface that allows individuals with quadriplegia or complete paralysis of their four limbs to operate devices using their thoughts.

In September, Neuralink began the recruitment process for their study trial.

The startup did not promptly reply to a Reuters inquiry for more information.

There have been requests for Neuralink to be thoroughly examined in terms of its safety measures.

Earlier this month, Reuters stated that the company received a penalty for breaking regulations set by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding the transportation of dangerous materials.

In November of last year, four American legislators requested that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission look into a potential case of securities fraud involving Musk. It is alleged that he provided misleading information to investors regarding the safety of a brain implant being created by Neuralink.

Neuralink’s technology primarily operates via an implant known as the “Link.” This device, roughly the size of five stacked coins, is inserted into the human brain through invasive surgery.

Based on information from Pitchbook, Neuralink, located in California, had a workforce of over 400 people in the previous year and has accumulated a minimum of $363 million in funding.

While Musk may receive much attention, he is not the only one working towards progress in the field of brain-machine or brain-computer interface research.

Facing delays, the wealthy businessperson allegedly made contact with Synchron, a developer of implants, in order to explore the possibility of collaboration and investment.

In contrast to Neuralink, the implant version does not involve the need for a surgical incision in the skull for installation.

In July 2022, Synchron, a company headquartered in Australia, successfully implanted its first device in a patient in the United States.

The source of some information in this report was Agence France-Presse.