With the release of its experimental implant, Blindsight, Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup Neuralink has been designated as a “breakthrough device” by the US Food and Drug Administration.
A total or completely blind person, including those whose optic nerves are not functioning, can regain their eyesight with the help of a gadget known as “Blindsight.”
“We have received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA for Blindsight.
“Join us in our quest to bring back sight to those who have lost it. Apply to our Patient Registry and openings on our career page,” Neuralink posted on Tuesday’s X page.
Reuters reports that the FDA expedites the development and assessment of medical devices that treat or diagnose life-threatening illnesses by designating them as breakthrough devices.
In addition, Musk revealed the upgrade on his social media platform, X, emphasizing Blindsight’s capacity to recover eyesight in even the most extreme cases of blindness.
“The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see.”
“Provided the visual cortex is intact, it will even enable those who have been blind from birth to see for the first time.”
“To set expectations correctly, the vision will at first be low resolution, like Atari graphics, but eventually it has the potential to be better than natural vision and enable you to see infrared, ultraviolet or even radar wavelengths, like Geordi La Forge.”
Musk posted a message on X.com.
Elon Musk co-founded Neuralink in 2016, a company that specializes in creating cutting-edge brain-computer interfaces to revolutionize neurological disease treatments.
A brain implant made possible by Neuralink’s technology can read neural signals and wirelessly send them to computers and other external devices.
According to Business World, Neuralink is also working on an implant that would allow people who are paralyzed to operate digital gadgets with their thoughts.
In order to assess how well the gadget helps people with spinal cord injuries, Neuralink is reportedly running a clinical trial with three volunteers.
In August 2024, it was widely reported that a second patient had a successful implant of Neuralink’s brain-computer interface, enabling them to control video games and create 3D drawings with just their thoughts.
