An experimental new brain implant device, Blindsight, designed to restore vision, has received “breakthrough device” designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The device was created by Elon Musk's brain chip company Neuralink, which specializes in developing a brain-chip interface that can be implanted inside the skull.
Blindsight is designed to enable people who have lost both eyes and optic nerves to regain their sight.
In a post on X on Tuesday announcing the new development, Musk said Blindsight can help blind people regain their sight as long as their visual cortex is still intact.
He said: “Neuralink’s Blindsight device will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see.
He said: “As long as the visual cortex is intact, even those who have been blind from birth will be able to see for the first time.
“To set expectations right, vision will initially be low-resolution, like Atari graphics, but over time it will have the potential to be better than natural vision and allow vision in infrared, ultraviolet or even radar wavelengths, like Geordi La Forge.”
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Blindsight’s designation as a “breakthrough device” has been described as a significant milestone in the move towards developing Neuralink’s technology for the treatment of serious medical conditions.
FDA Award
The FDA grants “breakthrough device” designation to medical innovations that seek to diagnose or treat life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating conditions.
This designation is intended to expedite the development and review process, providing hope to patients with limited treatment options.
According to the company that makes brain chips, the technology has the potential to help disabled people regain mobility, communicate and even regain vision. The chip processes neural signals and transmits them to external devices such as computers or smartphones.
However, it has not yet been revealed when Neuralink will begin human trials for Blindsight.
Device for paralyzed people
Meanwhile, Neuralink also has another brain-computer interface that aims to allow paralyzed people to control computers and other devices with their thoughts.
Earlier this year, Neuralink successfully implanted the brain chip in a patient, who has been using it to play video games and learn new languages.
In a nine-minute livestream on X in March, the patient, Noland Arbaugh, was shown using a cursor to play chess online.
Mr Arbaugh, who was paralysed below the shoulders after a diving accident, said: “The surgery was very easy.”
Additionally, Musk announced in August that the second implant of the device in a human was successful and that the patient can now design 3D objects and play video games like Counter-Strike 2.
The goal of Mr Musk's neurotechnology company is to connect human brains to computers to help address complex neurological conditions.