Elon Musk's brain chip company Neuralink announced on Wednesday that it has received “breakthrough device” status for an implant that aims to help restore sight to blindness patients.
The experimental brain implant, called “Blindsight,” has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to take part in a voluntary program, one of 58 devices to receive that designation so far this year, according to the FDA.
Musk, who is known for making bold declarations long before his company's products hit the market, celebrated the FDA's decision by sharing a photo of actor LeVar Burton, who played Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and was seen wearing the futuristic visor.
“Neuralink's Blindsight device enables people who have lost both eyes and their optic nerves to see.” Musk wrote to X.“With the visual cortex intact, people who were born blind could see for the first time.”
The FDA did not immediately respond to The Washington Post's request for comment.
The agency's “Breakthrough Device” program is intended to “expedite the development, evaluation, and review for premarket approval” of medical devices that treat life-threatening or permanent conditions, as long as they meet safety standards, according to its website.
“Just to set expectations right, vision will start out low-res, like Atari graphics, but eventually it will be better than natural vision and could be able to see in infrared, ultraviolet and even radar wavelengths, like Geordi La Forge,” Musk added.
Musk co-founded Neuralink in 2016, one of many projects from the tech giant who also serves as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and owns X and artificial intelligence startup xAI.
Neuralink is also developing an implant that aims to allow paralyzed patients to use their brains to interact with digital devices.
In January, Noland Arbaugh, a 30-year-old Arizona man who was paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident, became the first person to receive a Neuralink implant.
Last month, Musk said Neuralink had successfully implanted a brain chip in a second patient.
With post wire
