Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup, Neuralink, has secured the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) prestigious “breakthrough device” designation for its groundbreaking implant, Blindsight.
This innovative device aims to restore vision in individuals with complete or partial blindness, including those with non-functional optic nerves.
Neuralink shared the exciting news on its X page, inviting interested individuals to join its Patient Registry and explore career opportunities. “We have received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA for Blindsight,” the company announced. “Join us in our quest to bring back sight to those who have lost it.”
The FDA’s breakthrough designation is reserved for medical devices that treat or diagnose life-threatening conditions, accelerating their development and review, according to Reuters.
This recognition underscores the potential of Blindsight to revolutionize treatment for severe blindness cases.
Elon Musk took to his X social media platform to elaborate on Blindsight’s capabilities. “The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see,” Musk wrote.
He emphasized that individuals born blind, with an intact visual cortex, can also gain sight through this technology.
Musk tempered expectations by noting that initial visual resolution will be low, comparable to “Atari graphics.”
However, he predicted that Blindsight’s potential will eventually surpass natural vision, enabling users to perceive infrared, ultraviolet, or even radar wavelengths, echoing the advanced vision of Star Trek’s Geordi La Forge.
Founded by Elon Musk in 2016, Neuralink is pioneering innovative brain-computer interfaces to transform treatments for neurological disorders.
The FDA’s breakthrough designation brings Neuralink closer to realizing its vision of improving lives through cutting-edge technology.
