First Bionic Eye Operation Successful

VamPyroX

VamPyroX

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Surgeons have carried out the first operations in Britain using a pioneering “bionic eye” that could in future help to restore blind people’s sight.

Two successful operations to implant the device into the eyes of two blind patients have been conducted at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.

The device — the first of its kind — incorporates a video camera and transmitter mounted on a pair of glasses. This is linked to an artificial retina, which transmits moving images along the optic nerve to the brain and enables the patient to discriminate rudimentary images of motion, light and dark.

The operations were conducted as part of an international clinical trial of the technology, known as the Argus II retinal implant, which has already proved successful in restoring rudimentary vision to patients who have become blind because of common conditions such as age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa.

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Wow... this is awesome. One of these days, the blind can see! :)

No, this doesn't mean they're cured though. ;)
 
I wonder what's the screen resolution of the video camera? They won't be able to see clearly as a normal human eye can see.
 
sequoias said:
I wonder what's the screen resolution of the video camera? They won't be able to see clearly as a normal human eye can see.
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According to the article, the implant had 16 electrodes.

The next one has 60 electrodes.

They're working on one that has 1,000 electrodes to help them with facial recognition.

Does that give you a clearer picture of what the resolution might be? ;)
 
As it stand right now though, the devise only provides "rudimentary" vision. That means that they may be able to see contrasts of light and dark, or big shapes, but not details. Kind of like hearing a noise with an HA, but not being able to discriminate what it is.
 
jillio said:
As it stand right now though, the devise only provides "rudimentary" vision. That means that they may be able to see contrasts of light and dark, or big shapes, but not details. Kind of like hearing a noise with an HA, but not being able to discriminate what it is.
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Right. It also depends on the person's previous ability to see.

If a person used to hear before and then became deaf, that person would still be able to determine some sounds when he got a new hearing aid.

A person who was completely blind since birth would have a harder time with this technology since the body doesn't immediately know how to adapt and would take more time to get used to it.
 
VamPyroX said:
Right. It also depends on the person's previous ability to see.

If a person used to hear before and then became deaf, that person would still be able to determine some sounds when he got a new hearing aid.

A person who was completely blind since birth would have a harder time with this technology since the body doesn't immediately know how to adapt and would take more time to get used to it.
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Agreed.
 
VamPyroX said:
According to the article, the implant had 16 electrodes.

The next one has 60 electrodes.

They're working on one that has 1,000 electrodes to help them with facial recognition.

Does that give you a clearer picture of what the resolution might be? ;)
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hmmm sounds very low resolution for sure. I wonder how many eletrodes in a normal human eye compared to 16 currently?
 
Let me know when there is available with laser and x-ray. :D
 
Boult said:
That remind me of Commander Geordi La Forge of Star Trek: TNG

STARTREK.COM*:*Biography
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And... G'Kar from Babylon 5. ;)

When he lost his eye, he got a new bionic eye. The cool thing though was that the eye also wirelessly connects to the inside of his head. So, he could remove his eyeball and still see what the eyeball was seeing. There was one part where a couple recently got married and he "accidentally left" his eyeball in their bedroom. ;)
 
and this sounds like TOTALLY blind folks, not just legally blind folks. Most blind people have SOME residual vision, just as most dhh folks have some residual hearing.
 
My first thought about this is 'crap.'- you can bet every parent of a blind child is just going to use this 'implant' as an excuse to teach their child that the best route is to sit around and wait for a doctor's fix.

IMHO, it -should- be just as controversial as cochlear implants- a few years, advance in technology, and some trials, and this could become just as commonplace. Which sucks.

'Yay, science can make blind people see!' doesn't sound as cool when you think of the sacrifices made for the sake of sight.
 
jillio said:
As it stand right now though, the devise only provides "rudimentary" vision. That means that they may be able to see contrasts of light and dark, or big shapes, but not details. Kind of like hearing a noise with an HA, but not being able to discriminate what it is.
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That reminds me of Six Million Dollar Man, bionic eye. :lol:
 
VamPyroX said:
Right. It also depends on the person's previous ability to see.

If a person used to hear before and then became deaf, that person would still be able to determine some sounds when he got a new hearing aid.

A person who was completely blind since birth would have a harder time with this technology since the body doesn't immediately know how to adapt and would take more time to get used to it.
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I have to agree with everything you said. It make perfect sense.:cool:
 
Aleser said:
My first thought about this is 'crap.'- you can bet every parent of a blind child is just going to use this 'implant' as an excuse to teach their child that the best route is to sit around and wait for a doctor's fix.

IMHO, it -should- be just as controversial as cochlear implants- a few years, advance in technology, and some trials, and this could become just as commonplace. Which sucks.

'Yay, science can make blind people see!' doesn't sound as cool when you think of the sacrifices made for the sake of sight.
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Actually, I don't think it crap because teachology have come long way. It not the first time I have heard about that. They did use that teachology on a blind dog and it works. There was a movie also about a blind man true story about him I forgot the titile but will look it up for you. He was blind in both his eyes. He met a woman fell in love with her and she courage him to get sugery to be able to see again. But the doctor did warn him of the risks he can go blind again. But he took the risk and only see lik a few months. It took his brain to learn to understands colors, shape, and things look like. I was impress by the movie. :)
 
Aleser said:
My first thought about this is 'crap.'- you can bet every parent of a blind child is just going to use this 'implant' as an excuse to teach their child that the best route is to sit around and wait for a doctor's fix.

IMHO, it -should- be just as controversial as cochlear implants- a few years, advance in technology, and some trials, and this could become just as commonplace. Which sucks.

'Yay, science can make blind people see!' doesn't sound as cool when you think of the sacrifices made for the sake of sight.
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Okay I found it it called " At First Sight " movie about himself being blind and then see again. This is a very good movie.
 
GarnetTigerMom said:
Okay I found it it called " At First Sight " movie about himself being blind and then see again. This is a very good movie.
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Yeah, I saw that... with Val Kilmer.

When he was finally able to see, there was one problem... he could not truly see what he was seeing. He had no depth perception.

If you showed him a picture of an apple, he wouldn't know if it was a picture or a real apple. He would just know that it was an apple.
 
VamPyroX said:
Yeah, I saw that... with Val Kilmer.

When he was finally able to see, there was one problem... he could not truly see what he was seeing. He had no depth perception.

If you showed him a picture of an apple, he wouldn't know if it was a picture or a real apple. He would just know that it was an apple.
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yeah that right, I remember looking back about that movie. It was like he was confuse by what he was seeing and had hard time understanding colors and shapes and the things he sees. I guess he been so used to using his hearing and touching. For a while he could see then he went back being blind again. I think the movie was great when a person willing to take a risk even if that means he will go though the rough emotional trauma.
 
Yes, it was At First Sight. It was based on a story by Oliver Sacks.
Honestly, I think this is gonna not effect too many people. Besides, the story by Oliver Sacks said that they've found that people who are (born/early blinded) blind, but get operations/treatment that would cause them to physically see, haven't had much sucess in learning how to actually see like a sighted person.
 
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