Elon Musk's Neuralink is working on a product called Blindsight that can restore vision: story in 5 points

Elon Musk's Neuralink has received FDA clearance for its experimental Blindsight device, designed to restore vision by targeting the brain's visual cortex.

In Short

• Blindsight is an experimental device aimed at restoring vision
• Musk says that the device will help even those who have lost both eyes
• The device will work only if the visual cortex of the patient is intact

Elon Musk's Neuralink has once again made headlines and for all the right reasons. The brain-chip startup Musk co-founded in 2016, has recently received a special clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Blindsight. This experimental device is designed to restore vision, even for those who have lost both eyes or their optic nerve.

Sharing the news, Musk wrote in his tweet, “The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to seeâ€æ. Provided the visual cortex is intact, it will even enable those who have been blind from birth to see for the first time.

Here is the story in five key points:

1. Neuralink’s experimental Blindsight device is designed to help individuals who have lost their sight, even in cases where both eyes and optic nerves are no longer functional. This means that patients with conditions typically seen as irreversible, such as complete blindness due to optic nerve damage, could potentially regain their sight. According to Musk, the device works by targeting the brain’s visual cortex, bypassing the need for functional eyes or optic nerves. As long as the visual cortex is intact, the device may even help individuals who were born blind experience vision for the first time in their lives.
2. Musk in his tweet also has emphasised that the first version of Blindsight will not offer perfect vision. The initial resolution is expected to be low, something akin to the blocky, pixelated graphics of classic Atari video games. Over time, Musk believes the technology could improve to a point where it offers vision that is superior to natural human sight. In later iterations, Blindsight could also enable users to perceive infrared, ultraviolet, or even radar wavelengths, expanding the range of human perception far beyond normal sight.
3. Sharing the news of FDA approval Musk also drew comparisons between Blindsight and the technology used by Geordi La Forge, a fictional character from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. La Forge, played by actor LeVar Burton, was blind from birth but could "see" using a futuristic visor that tapped into his visual cortex.
4. Notably, FDA has given Neuralink’s Blindsight the designation of “Breakthrough Device”. This status is given to certain medical devices that may significantly improve treatment or diagnosis of serious conditions. With this designation, Neuralink has gained the ability to work closely with the FDA to accelerate development and review processes. However, the designation does not yet imply that the device is approved for commercial use.
5. Interestingly, Blindsight is just one part of Neuralink’s ambitious roadmap in medical space. The startup is also developing brain-chip interfaces designed to assist paralyzed individuals, allowing them to control digital devices simply by thinking. Earlier this year, Neuralink also successfully implanted one of its brain chips in a second patient, who has since been able to play video games and interact with digital objects using only their mind.