Earlier, Blindsight was designated as a ‘breakthrough device’ by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
About Blindsight
- It is a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) implant that aims to restore vision by bypassing the retina and directly stimulating the visual cortex.
- Visual cortex is a region of the cerebral cortex (outermost layer of nerve cell tissues) that is responsible for processing visual data relayed from the retinas.
- Blindsight consists of microelectrode array, embedded in the visual cortex, capable of stimulating neurons or nerve cells.
About BCI
- BCI is a system that process brain activity and send signals to external software, allowing a user to control devices with their thoughts.
- Applications:
- Healthcare: Diagnosing brain disorders, assistive technologies for physically challenged people etc.
- Communication and Control: Decoding of thoughts, smart device control, environmental auto-adjustment systems etc.
- Commercial Applications: Transportation, Advertisements etc.
- Others: Games and entertainment, security and authentication, neurofeedback and enhancement of brain functions etc.
- Concerns:
- Usability challenge: Limitations to user acceptance of BCI technology utilization.
- Safety Issues: Tissue damage, seizures, cognitive impairment etc. and long-term impact including are not fully understood.
- Ethical concerns regarding informed consent.
