Bionic eyes: Second sight for the blind
Seven months ago, at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, a 73-year-old Briton underwent an experimental operation to implant the Argus II bionic eye. After the operation, the patient, who lost his sight 30 years ago, was able to see daylight, road markings again and even distinguish socks in white, gray and black colors.
The Argus II bionic eye consists of a camera and a video processor, which are mounted on glasses. The processor converts optical signals into a series of electrical pulses responsible for dark and light areas of the image. Next, the radio transmitter sends pulses to a receiver fixed near the eye. From there, through the thinnest cable, they get to the implant, which is a 1 by 1 millimeter chip with 60 electrodes implanted in the retina. From the retina, impulses along the optic nerve enter the brain.
This device was developed by the American company Second Sight for patients suffering from various diseases that cause retinal damage, such as macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetically determined disease and is usually diagnosed in childhood. Over the years, the disease progresses, leading to complete loss of vision.
To date, 18 Argus II eye surgeries have been performed worldwide, including three surgeries at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.
Copper news based on BBC News: Bionic eye gives blind man sightPortal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru