Elon Musk's Neuralink Blindsight Receives FDA 'Breakthrough Device' Designation for Vision-Restoring Implant

Sep 17, 2024, 10:09 PM

Neuralink, the brain-chip startup founded by Elon Musk, has received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) 'Breakthrough Device' designation for its new product, Blindsight. This implant is designed to restore vision to individuals who have lost their eyesight, including those who have lost both eyes or optic nerves, and even those blind from birth, provided their visual cortex is intact. Blindsight, which follows Neuralink's previous product Telepathy, has already shown success in monkeys. The initial vision provided by the device will be low-resolution, but it is expected to improve over time, potentially surpassing natural human vision and offering capabilities such as infrared and ultraviolet sight. Preliminary clinical evidence indicates substantial improvement in vision. Additionally, the Blindsight chip allows a patient to control a mouse using only their thoughts. 'Our goal will be to turn the lights on for someone who’s spent decades living in the dark,' said Dan Adams.