Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface implant startup Neuralink has received FDA breakthrough device designation for Blindsight, an implant that aims to restore vision in individuals who are blind.

Blindsight implants a microelectrode array into the visual cortex of a person’s brain. The array then activates neurons, which then provide the individual with a visual image.

According to Musk, the Blindsight device will enable even those who have lost sight in both eyes and their optic nerve to see as long as their visual cortex is intact. It will even allow those blind from birth to see for the first time.

The visual cortex is the part of one’s brain that receives and processes visual information from the retinas.

“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 [Star Trek’s character] Geordi La Forge,” Musk wrote on X.

THE LARGER TREND

Neuralink is currently looking for individuals to participate in its PRIME study, a clinical trial for its brain-computer interface (BCI), designed to provide individuals with quadriplegia the ability to use digital devices by thinking. 

Earlier this year, Neuralink completed its first successful device implantation in a patient, who has since used the company’s BCI for various applications, including playing video games and online chess.

Last year, the company received FDA approval to move from animal and human testing of its BCI device. 

The company’s website says, “Neuralink’s ultimate goal is to create a generalized input/output platform capable of interfacing with every aspect of the human brain.”

Another company in the space is Boston-based brain-computer interface technology company Neurable, which announced a partnership with Canadian precision health company Healthspan Digital in March. The pair plans to offer neurotechnology to health and longevity clinics around the world to help providers assess individuals’ cognitive performance and brain health.

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