Two Toronto hospital patients with spinal cord injuries have become the first citizens to have Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip implanted in Canada.The University Health Network said in a news release that the operations were conducted on Aug. 27 and Wednesday at Toronto Western Hospital.The Canadian Press reported the two male patients — both of whom are around 30 years old and have limited or no ability to use their hands — were part of the first clinical trial outside of the United States to test the effectiveness and safety of Elon Musk’s wireless brain-computer interface.The Neuralink chip was first introduced to the public by Musk in 2020 and was first implanted in a paralyzed American patient in 2024.Dr. Andres Lozano, a neurosurgeon at UHN who led the surgical team, said the patients could move a computer cursor almost immediately after.Lozano said that electrodes were implanted into the motor area of each patient’s brain to harness neuron signals and translate those signals into actions on an external device, skipping over the need to physically move..Musk says patient with Neuralink implant can move computer mouse with mind.“The first patient was able to control a cursor by just thinking within minutes. It is extremely rapid. The signals are decoded, and the artificial intelligence reads the signals and then translates them into movement on the cursor,” he said.“They just think about it, and it happens.”UHN said the surgeries were the first Neuralink operations performed outside of the US and were part of the Canadian Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface Study, a clinical trial that evaluates the safety and functionality of Neuralink’s implant and surgical robot.“We are incredibly proud to be at the forefront of this revolutionary advancement in neurosurgery,” said Dr. Thomas Forbes, UHN surgeon-in-chief, in a statement.“This achievement reflects the dedication and expertise of our world-leading surgical and research teams, and our commitment to delivering the most innovative and effective treatments for patients.”According to Global News, the two patients — who volunteered for the surgery — are set to participate in follow-up appointments and research sessions as they learn to use the devices.Lozano said the patients are “remarkable individuals” and are helping to make “significant contributions to advancing science and healthcare.”
