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San Francisco, CA — Neuralink, the brain-chip startup founded by Elon Musk, announced on Tuesday that its experimental implant, aimed at restoring vision, has received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) “breakthrough device” designation. This designation is reserved for medical devices that offer promising treatment options for life-threatening conditions and is intended to expedite their development and review processes.
The device, known as Blindsight, is designed to provide vision restoration for individuals who have lost their eyesight, including those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve. Musk shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the potential impact of this technology on patients suffering from severe vision impairments.
As of now, Neuralink has not disclosed when human trials for the Blindsight device will commence. Requests for further details from both Neuralink and the FDA have gone unanswered.
Founded in 2016, Neuralink is pioneering the development of a brain-computer interface that can be implanted in the skull. The company envisions that this technology could eventually allow disabled individuals to regain the ability to move, communicate, and see. The device processes and transmits neural signals, which can be sent to external devices like computers and smartphones.
In addition to the vision restoration initiative, Neuralink is also conducting trials on another implant designed to enable paralyzed patients to control digital devices using their thoughts. This groundbreaking trial is set to enroll three patients and is expected to take several years to complete. The U.S. government’s clinical trials database indicates that Neuralink recently implanted the device in a second patient, who has since been able to play video games and learn 3D design.
As Neuralink continues to advance its research, the implications of its technology could be transformative for individuals with disabilities, potentially reshaping how they interact with the world around them.
