Elon Musk's Neuralink gets FDA 'breakthrough device' designation: restores vision to the blind

Neuralink has just received "breakthrough device" designation for its experimental BCI (brain-computer interface) implant that would restore vision to the blind.

Elon Musk's startup received the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "breakthrough device" designation, which is given to particular medical devices that provide treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening conditions. It's aimed at speeding up the development and review of devices that are currently under development.

The new experimental device is known as "Blindsight" and will "enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see" said Elon.

Elon Musk posted on X saying: "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".