Elon Musk’s Neuralink gets US government approval as a ‘breakthrough’ implant that could cure blindness even for someone who was born blind.

The experimental implant developed by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup business, Neuralink, said on Tuesday, September 17, that it has been designated as a “breakthrough device” by the US Food and Drug Administration. The implant is intended to restore vision for individuals who were born blind.

The FDA’s breakthrough designation is applied to specific medical devices that treat or diagnose life-threatening illnesses; this designation is intended to expedite the development and approval process for devices that are currently in development.

The experimental device, known as Blindsight, “will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see,” Musk said in a post on X.

“The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see.” Musk’s statement reads.

 

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 be at first be low resolution, like Atari graphics, but eventually it has the potential be better than natural vision and enable you to see in infrared, ultraviolet or even radar wavelengths, like Geordi La Forge.

Much appreciated, @US_FDA!

In a statement, Neuralink stated that it anticipates the Blindsight gadget to enter human trials.

Neuralink is developing a brain chip interface that can be implanted inside the skull. Founded in 2016 by Musk and a team of engineers, the company claims that this technology could eventually let crippled individuals move, speak, and see again.

The device from Neuralink contains a chip that can process and send neural signals to other devices, such as a phone or computer.

In a second project, the business is testing an implant meant to enable paralysed individuals to operate digital gadgets solely through thought. This technology may prove beneficial for those suffering from spinal cord injuries.