Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk that is researching the possibilities of brain implants, has made significant progress. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted its Blindsight breakthrough device status. This designation speeds up approval processes and allows faster progress to human testing.
Blindsight represents a truly revolutionary approach to sight restoration. It could also help people who have lost both eyes and an optic nerve. The implant transmits visual information directly to the brain, thereby bypassing damaged parts of the visual system.
From the camera straight to the brain
Elon Musk describes the initial possibilities of the device with cautious optimism. He warns that the road to full vision recovery will be long. The first patients have to expect limited results, initially the restored vision may resemble the graphics of the first computer games. However, it could gradually surpass natural human vision. Musk even suggests the possibility of perceiving the infrared or ultraviolet spectrum.
The Blindsight microelectrode array is implanted directly into the visual cortex of the brain. The device stimulates neurons based on inputs from an external camera creating a visual image. This allows the brain to perceive visual sensations.
The technology opens the way to a future where degenerative diseases and neurological damage can be treated directly on target, at the level of the brain. The device will not only restore but potentially augment human capabilities.
Neuralink is now seeking volunteers for Blindsight clinical trials. However, the exact date of the start of the exams has not yet been determined.
