Elon Musk’s brain-chip company, Neuralink, said Wednesday that it has been given permission to launch its first clinical trial in Canada. A technology designed to enable people with paralysis to operate digital devices with just their thoughts will be tested during the experiment. Assessing the implant’s safety and early functionality will be the main goal of the study. The implant is intended to assist individuals with quadriplegia, or paralysis of all four limbs, in interacting with external technologies. The hospital confirmed in a separate statement that the University Health Network, located in Toronto, has been chosen to perform the intricate neurosurgery procedures for the experiment. The approval is a big milestone for Neuralink’s goals in the medical industry, even though Health Canada did not immediately remark on it.

Two people have already had the gadget implanted by Neuralink in the United States; the second participant reportedly used the device to learn 3D design and play video games. Neuralink, which was founded in 2016, is also working on creating a brain-chip interface that

might be placed inside the skull to help people with disabilities regain their ability to move, communicate, and perhaps see. The company’s increasing influence in the neurotechnology space was further indicated in September when Neuralink was awarded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “breakthrough device” classification for its vision-restoring implant, in addition to its ongoing studies.