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Forward-looking: Neuralink is on a mission to transform its brain-computer interface into a lifeline for patients suffering from severe medical conditions. Now, the company is working to bring another groundbreaking innovation to those living without their natural vision.
Neuralink recently announced that it has received "Breakthrough Device Designation" from the FDA for Blindsight, a device designed to restore vision to those who can no longer see. According to Elon Musk, Blindsight has the potential to enable people who have lost both eyes, or even their optic nerves, to "see" the world again.
Musk explained that as long as the visual cortex in the brain remains intact, Blindsight could work in conjunction with Neuralink's brain implant to allow people who have been blind since birth to experience sight for the first time. However, expectations should be tempered, as the initial results are likely to resemble "low-resolution," Atari-like graphics.
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2024The 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… https://t.co/MYLHNcPrw6 pic.twitter.com/RAenDpd3fx
The technology has the potential to surpass natural human vision, offering additional capabilities such as "seeing" in infrared or ultraviolet portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Musk referenced the fictional visor technology used by Lieutenant Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which scans the electromagnetic spectrum and converts it into visual input transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve.
The FDA's Breakthrough Device Designation is reserved for medical devices that may offer "significant advantages" over existing treatments for serious health conditions. This designation allows the FDA to allocate additional resources for faster reviews and provide more frequent, real-time feedback to facilitate development.
– Neuralink (@neuralink) September 17, 2024We have received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA for Blindsight.
Join us in our quest to bring back sight to those who have lost it. Apply to our Patient Registry and openings on our career page https://t.co/abBMTdv7Rh
If the device can meet initial expectations, it could hit the market sooner. While the designation does not guarantee approval, it highlights the device's potential for "substantial" patient benefits and accelerates its path to commercialization, the FDA notes. Neuralink is currently seeking individuals with quadriplegia to participate in new clinical trials for its brain implants.
Despite being affected by the erratic behavior of its controversial founder, the California-based neurotech company has demonstrated promising results with its brain-computer interface. Neuralink recently reported that a second patient regained the ability to play online video games after suffering a spinal cord injury. Restoring sight to individuals with no functioning retina or optic nerve would be yet another, truly groundbreaking achievement.