From the BBC website - could be good in the future

[Guest guest]

Bionic eye will let the blind see

 

Blind people would be able to recognise faces with the device

US scientists have designed a bionic eye to allow blind people to see

again.

It comprises a computer chip that sits in the back of the

individual's eye, linked up to a mini video camera built into glasses

that they wear.

 

Images captured by the camera are beamed to the chip, which

translates them into impulses that the brain can interpret.

 

The device has been designed by Professor Gislin Dagnelie at Johns

Hopkins University, Baltimore.

 

This is a revolutionary piece of technology and really has the

potential to change people's lives

 

Anita Lifestone of the Royal National Institute for the Blind

 

Professor Dagnelie unveiled details at a Royal National Institute for

the Blind conference in London on Monday.

 

Human trials will begin within a year, hopes Professor Dagnelie.

 

Although the images produced by the artificial eye are far from

perfect, they could be clear enough to allow someone who is otherwise

blind to recognise faces, he said.

 

The breakthrough is likely to benefit patients with the most common

cause of blindness, macular degeneration, which affects 500,000

people in the UK.

 

This occurs when there is damage to the macular, which is in the

central part of the retina where light is focussed and changed into

nerve signals in the middle of the brain.

 

The implant bypasses the diseased cells in the retina and stimulates

the remaining viable cells.

 

See the light

 

Professor Dagnelie said: " The retinal implant contains tiny

electrodes. If you stimulate a single electrode, the person will see

a single dot of light. "

 

They have already tested implants containing a handful of electrodes,

but the end device will contain 50-100 to give a better overall

picture.

 

" We are hoping this will be enough for the person to be able to make

their way through a building, find a door or window and avoid

obstacles for example.

 

" To us, the images look very basic but for someone who was previously

blind they are a massive step forward. "

 

But he added: " There is still quite a bit of work that will be needed

to fine tune it. Being able to see faces will be quite a bit down the

line. "

 

He said training the individual to learn how to interpret the blurry

images should help.

 

Anita Lifestone of the RNIB, said: " This is a revolutionary piece of

technology and really has the potential to change people's lives. But

we need to be aware it is still some way in the future. "