From: RT.com
For the first time ever, scientists have given a
previously blind woman sight by way of a bionic eye. The
Australian-designed implant, which resembles the model worn by Arnie in
The Terminator, is likely to transform the lives of millions worldwide.
Dianne Ashworth, who is suffering from the incurable condition retinitis pigmentosa, had lost almost all vision when surgeons at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne performed the groundbreaking surgery in May.
A month later the device was switched on.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but all of a sudden, I could see a little flash…it was amazing. Every time there was stimulation there was a different shape that appeared in front of my eye,” said Ashworth in a statement.
The device consists of 24 electrodes attached to the retina. Each time they receive a signal from the outside world, they stimulate the retina, which then sends an impulse back to the brain.
So far, scientists have used the bionic eye to create simple patterns from the twenty four signals – like the shapes of a tree or a house – and see whether Ashworth is able to identify them.
Over the next 18 months, scientists will work in the laboratory with Ashworth and two other sight-restricted patients.
But the next big step is installing a camera, so that the patient is able to receive representations of real objects, not just those created by the scientists.
Even at this stage, the signals Ashworth will receive will be unlike normal eyesight, but the aim of the invention is practical.
Dianne Ashworth, who is suffering from the incurable condition retinitis pigmentosa, had lost almost all vision when surgeons at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne performed the groundbreaking surgery in May.
A month later the device was switched on.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but all of a sudden, I could see a little flash…it was amazing. Every time there was stimulation there was a different shape that appeared in front of my eye,” said Ashworth in a statement.
The device consists of 24 electrodes attached to the retina. Each time they receive a signal from the outside world, they stimulate the retina, which then sends an impulse back to the brain.
So far, scientists have used the bionic eye to create simple patterns from the twenty four signals – like the shapes of a tree or a house – and see whether Ashworth is able to identify them.
Over the next 18 months, scientists will work in the laboratory with Ashworth and two other sight-restricted patients.
But the next big step is installing a camera, so that the patient is able to receive representations of real objects, not just those created by the scientists.
Even at this stage, the signals Ashworth will receive will be unlike normal eyesight, but the aim of the invention is practical.
"What we’re going to be doing is restoring a type of
vision which is probably going to be black and white, but what we’re
hoping to do for these patients, who are severely visually impaired, is
to give them mobility," says Penny Allen, the lead surgeon on the
procedure.
Eventually, with a greater number of electrodes, a more detailed picture could be beamed into the blind person’s brain.
Yet the inventors are trying not to over-engineer the device, so that it doesn’t become unaffordable.
"We didn’t want to have a device that was too complex in a surgical approach that was very difficult to learn," says Allen.
The World Health Organization says that 39 million people worldwide are blind, and nearly 250 million are impaired by extremely poor vision.
Bionic Vision Australia, which brings together leading scientists, surgeons and engineers, is funded by the government, and hopes to get a market-ready bionic eye out by 2014.
Eventually, with a greater number of electrodes, a more detailed picture could be beamed into the blind person’s brain.
Yet the inventors are trying not to over-engineer the device, so that it doesn’t become unaffordable.
"We didn’t want to have a device that was too complex in a surgical approach that was very difficult to learn," says Allen.
The World Health Organization says that 39 million people worldwide are blind, and nearly 250 million are impaired by extremely poor vision.
Bionic Vision Australia, which brings together leading scientists, surgeons and engineers, is funded by the government, and hopes to get a market-ready bionic eye out by 2014.
Source: Red Ice Creations
By Michelle Roberts | BBCNews
A new generation of contact lenses that project images in front of the eyes is a step closer after successful animal trials, say scientists.
The technology could allow wearers to read floating texts and emails or augment their sight with computer-generated images, Terminator-syle.
Early tests show the device is safe and feasible, says the University of Washington in Seattle.
But there are still wrinkles to iron out, like finding a good power source.
Currently, their crude prototype device can only work if it is within centimetres of the wireless battery.
And its microcircuitry is only enough for one light-emitting diode, reports the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering.
But now that initial safety tests in rabbits have gone well, with no obvious adverse effects, the researchers have renewed faith about the device’s possibilities.
They envisage hundreds more pixels could be embedded in the flexible lens to produce complex holographic images.
For example, drivers could wear them to see journey directions or their vehicle’s speed projected onto the windscreen.
Similarly, the lenses could take the virtual world of video gaming to a new level.
They could also provide up-to-date medical information like blood sugar levels by linking to biosensors in the wearer’s body.
Delicate materials
Lead researcher Professor Babak Parviz said: "Our next goal is to incorporate some predetermined text in the contact lens."
He said his team had already overcome a major hurdle to this, which is getting the human eye to focus on an image generated on its surface.
Normally, we can only see objects clearly if they are held several centimetres away from the eye.
Source: Red Ice Creations
