Elon Musk's Neuralink Device To Help Blind People See Gets Approval, Company Releases Video Demo
by by Dave Ibemere · Legit.ng News · Join- Elon Musk's Neuralink brain implant, called "Blindsight," has been approved by the US government
- Musk said that after the implant, people who are blind will initially be able to see in low resolution, but it could potentially surpass natural vision in the future
- With the approval, Neuralink will now begin faster development and review of the device for premarket approval
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of business journalism experience with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has announced that his brain chip firm Neuralink has received “breakthrough device” status for an implant aimed at helping blind patients regain their sight.
The US Food and Drug Administration “breakthrough device” program is aimed at “speeding up development, assessment and review for premarket approval” for medical devices that treat life-threatening or permanent conditions – as long as they meet safety standards.
Elon Musk shares news
In a post shared on X, Musk said the implant dubbed “Blindsight,” has gained clearance.
Musk, who excitedly shared the FDA’s decision, accompanied the news with a photo of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" actor LeVar Burton, whose character Geordi La Forge used a futuristic visor to see.
His post reads:
“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."
Elon Musk: Man of many vision
Musk co-founded Neuralink in 2016. It is one of many projects for the tech titan, who also owns X and the artificial intelligence startup xAI while also serving as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
Legit.ng in an earlier report revealed that Neuralink is also developing an implant that aims to allow para patients the ability to use digital devices with their brains.
In a video shared in January on X, Noland Arbaugh, a 30-year-old Arizona man who was paralysed from the neck down after a diving accident, became the first human to receive a Neuralink implant.
Another video was released featuring Arbaugh, who was able to play video games, browse the internet, post on social media, and control a laptop cursor using only his mind.
The video:
Last month, Musk said Neuralink had successfully implanted a brain chip into a second human patient.
Elon Musk's brain chips implanted in monkeys
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that 15 out of the 23 monkeys that carried Elon Musk's Neuralink brain chips have reportedly died.
The monkeys received the chips between 2017 and 2020, and the experiment was moving to humans as it was reportedly said the chips would be tested on humans anytime soon.
Business Insider and the New York Post report that the news came from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, an animal-rights group that pored through more than 700 pages of documents, vet records, and necropsy reports through public records at the university.
Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.