Neuralink, Elon Musk's Brain-chip Startup, Gets FDA Approval for 'Blindsight' Device

New Delhi: Neuralink, the brain-chip startup of Billionaire businessman Elon Musk, has got approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its experimental implant device aimed at “restoring vision”. An American neurotechnology company, Neuralink confirmed the development on X.

In a post on X, Neuralink wrote, "We have received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA for Blindsight." 

The experimental device, known as Blindsight, has received FDA's breakthrough tag. The designation is given to certain medical devices that offers treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening conditions. It is intended at speeding up development and review of devices currently under development. 

According to Musk, the device has the capacity to restore vision of people including those “even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see.” 

In a post on X, Musk claimed that even “those who have been blind from birth can see for the first time” with the help of this device given their “visual cortex is intact.”.

He added that initially only partial vision will be restored gradually the resolution will increase. He claimed that the vision will “be better than natural vision.” The device is also expected to redefine the boundaries of human capability as it will enable people “to see in infrared, ultraviolet or even radar wavelengths.”

Elon Musk tweeted, “The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see. 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.” 

The startup was founded by Musk and a group of engineers back in 2016. Neuralink is also developing a brain chip interface to be implanted within the skull, which it says, could eventually help disabled patients to move and communicate again, and also restore vision. Its device has a chip that processes and transmits neural signals that could be transmitted to devices like a computer or a phone. 

Apart from 'Blindsight', Neuralink is separately testing another implant device which is aimed at providing aid to paralyzed patients in using digital devices by using only their thoughts. This move is expected to help people with spinal cord injuries.