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Neuralink's Blindsight Brain Implant Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation

Sep 17, 2024, 07:36 PM

Neuralink, the brain-chip startup founded by Elon Musk, has received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Breakthrough Device Designation for its Blindsight implant. This designation is given when preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the device may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing treatments. Blindsight aims to restore vision for individuals who have lost their sight, including those who were born blind or have lost both eyes and their optic nerves, provided their visual cortex is intact. The device has already shown success in animal trials, specifically monkeys. Initial vision restoration may be low-resolution, similar to early Nintendo graphics, but could eventually surpass natural vision, offering capabilities such as infrared and ultraviolet sight. Blindsight follows Neuralink's previous product, Telepathy, and also allows patients to control a mouse using only their thoughts. Dan Adams from Neuralink stated, 'Our goal will be to turn the lights on for someone who's spent decades living in the dark.'