Neuralink's pursuit of the first human volunteer for its brain-interface implant trials has stretched on for months as the company maintains strict standards. Though thousands have applied, finding an ideal initial test patient with both pressing need and eligibility has proved challenging.

In September, Neuralink received FDA approval to test its technology on people paralyzed by spinal injuries - envisioning life-changing applications like mental control of computers. Yet progress stalled due to extremely selective criteria for safety in these unprecedented procedures.

Candidates must be under 40 with full-body paralysis but otherwise in good health. Additionally, since an innovative robot will perform the complex implant surgery, patients must feel at ease letting an automated system install electrodes in their brains.

Bloomberg reports Neuralink itself is technically prepared to operate but has not found the perfect first subject. While animal experiments faced criticism over suffering claims, Elon Musk's biographer Ashley Vance asserts testing conditions are quite humane.

The surgeons assisting eventual human trials will take precautions as the robot installs ultra-thin threads of sensors into brain matter without disturbing blood vessels. Still, Musk's pressure to minimize oversight while rushing progress makes some experts uneasy.

For now, the promise of restoring communication or mobility through thought keeps hope alive among many locked-in patients seeking independence. But finding someone who aligns with Neuralink's clinical and ethical approach remains an obstacle.

As ambitious timelines go unmet, the company is learning just how stringent standards must be when proposing unprecedented medical procedures slated to alter the very substance of humanity. Their insistence on waiting for the best test case, however, shows real consideration for participant wellbeing as science crosses new frontiers.