First Neuralink implant performed in Canada — and the first via a transdural technique

Lee Marten, a Vancouver police sergeant with ALS, became the first patient to receive a Neuralink implant in Canada, in a May 20 procedure at Toronto Western Hospital — the 26th recipient worldwide. The surgery was also Neuralink's first to insert the device's electrode threads through the dura (the brain's protective outer layer) rather than cutting it open. Marten now controls a cursor and types at or above finger speed.

Why it matters

Two scaling signals in one procedure. Geographic: a second national health system (after the US) is now hosting Neuralink trials. Surgical: the transdural technique cuts invasiveness — and less invasive insertion is the difference between a niche trial device and a procedure enough surgeons can perform to matter commercially.

What to watch

Whether transdural insertion becomes the default for subsequent implants, and Canadian trial-expansion approvals.