Neuralink has implanted 21 patients with its N1 brain-computer interface through the PRIME feasibility study as of early 2026. The implant is not available to the general public — it is currently restricted to clinical trial participants with quadriplegia or ALS. This page explains exactly who qualifies, how to apply, where the trial sites are, what the surgery involves, and when Neuralink might become commercially available.
The Neuralink PRIME study (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface) is an FDA-authorized feasibility study under an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE). Participation is restricted to individuals meeting all of the following criteria:
| Criteria | Requirement | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Condition | Quadriplegia (C4 or above) or ALS | Required |
| Age | 22 years or older | Required |
| Caregiver | Consistent caregiver available | Required |
| Travel | Ability to travel to approved trial site | Required |
| Medical Screening | Pass imaging, neurological, and psychological evaluation | Required |
| Prior BCI | No active implanted BCI device | Required |
| Cognitive Function | Sufficient cognitive ability to participate in calibration | Required |
| Life Expectancy | Greater than 12 months (clinical judgment) | Required |
| Site | Location | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Neurological Institute | Phoenix, AZ, USA | Active | First implant site. Noland Arbaugh implanted Jan 2024. |
| University of Miami / Miami Project | Miami, FL, USA | Active | Fifth patient (RJ) implanted April 2025. |
| UC Davis Medical Center | Sacramento, CA, USA | Active | Third US trial site. |
| United Kingdom (multiple sites) | UK | Active | 7 patients implanted as of late 2025. |
| Canada | Canada | Active | International expansion site. |
| UAE | United Arab Emirates | Active | International expansion site. |
Neuralink must complete a multi-year regulatory process before the N1 implant can be sold commercially. Based on current progress and typical FDA timelines for Class III medical devices:
Only if you have quadriplegia or ALS and meet the PRIME study eligibility criteria. Neuralink is not available as an elective procedure, cannot be purchased, and has no public waitlist for healthy individuals.
If you are a patient with severe paralysis or ALS, the path forward is clear: submit your information through the Neuralink patient registry and discuss participation with your neurologist. The PRIME study still has open enrollment slots (21 of 30 filled).
For everyone else: the earliest realistic timeline for public availability is 2029–2031 for medical indications and 2035+ for consumer use.
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06429735), Neuralink official disclosures, FDA IDE records, and bciintel.com patient tracking database. Patient counts updated from verified company announcements. Last verified: March 2026.