According to a Wall Street Journal story published on Monday, Elon Musk's brain-computer interface startup, Neuralink, has apparently received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implant its ground-breaking brain chip in a second human patient. This information was revealed when Noland Armagh, the initial recipient, talked about his emotional recovery after the implant.

The second recipient's specifics are unknown, but the most recent chip is said to have new design elements including deeper brain penetration for its very tiny wires for improved operation.

The brain chip developed by Neuralink has great potential to bridge severed nerve signals and regain complete motor function for paralyzed persons. According to Musk, technology will eventually allow for total movement by connecting a Neuralink chip in the brain with a second chip in the spine.

The first recipient, Armagh, has demonstrated the chip's potential to enable "telepathic" communication by thinking his way into control of a computer or phone. Clinical studies are under underway with the goal of assessing the basic functioning of Neuralink's wireless brain-computer interface, which might enable paralyzed people to recover mental control over external equipment.

An important advancement for Neuralink and the developing field of brain-computer interfaces is this second FDA clearance.