Is this the way to turn a blind man back? Scientists are developing retinal implants that can give the blind an artificial vision
- The implant contains more than 10,000 electrodes that connect to the retina
- Each electrode lights up when activated, removing the eyesight cells of the eye
- This sends black and white constellation of dots to the brain through an optic nerve
- The form of vision resembles constellations of stars in the night sky, experts say
A retinal implant with more than 10,000 electrodes has been developed that can provide blind vision.
The implant connects wirelessly to a computer system that is housed in a specially constructed pair of spectacles that the wearer also wears.
A camera attached to the frame beams signals to the implant through this computer and electricity lights up accordingly.
Illuminated electrons activate the eye’s vision cells which send an image to the brain.
Vision comes in the form of black and white dots that, although very different from real vision, would allow people to differentiate shapes and, ultimately, objects.
The technology is medically licensed for humans and has so far not been tested in humans. However, its Swiss developers say the technology worked as expected in virtual reality models.
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Approximately 1cm wide – less than 5p base – the implant is designed to be attached directly to the retina at the back of the eye. It builds on microcomputer-generated signals on one end of the glasses. The signals it emits are determined by the camera attached to the front of the glasses frame, in a similar way to Google Glasses.
‘Our system is designed to give blind people a form of artificial vision by using electrodes to stimulate their retinal cells,’ explained Dr Diego Ghezzi from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne who helped improve the tool.
Each of the 10,500 electrodes acts as pixels on black and white TV, either on (illuminated) or off (dark).
The researchers compare the artificial shape of a scene to constellations of stars in the night sky.
Over time and with practice, the provisions can be identified. However, instead of looking at the belt of Sagittarius or Orion, people will keep an eye on the world around them.
The technology is currently gaining popularity and has so far not been placed in the public eye, but the Swiss developers say the technology has worked as expected. the meaningful virtual models
‘It’s like looking at stars in the night sky – you can learn to recognize specific constellations. Blind patients would see something like our system, ‘says Dr Ghezzi.
This resolution changes in real time as different objects move into the camera view.
Approximately 1cm wide – less than 5p base – the implant is designed to be attached directly to the retina at the back of the eye.
It builds on microcomputer-generated signals on one end of the glasses.
The signals it emits are determined by the camera attached to the front of the glasses frame, in a manner similar to Google Glasses.
Developers found that the 10,500 electrode prototype they built was the perfect balance between detail and resolution.
‘Exercise would not give patients any greater benefit in terms of interpretation,’ says Dr Ghezzi.
With this resolution level confirmed, the next part was to work out the field of vision of the device.
‘We started at five levels and opened the range all the way to 45 degrees. We found that the suction point is 35 degrees – the object remains stable beyond that point, ‘says Dr Ghezzi.
The team says the potential of the system is ready for clinical trials as is and published their results in Communications Materials.
Brain implants successfully restore basic vision in monkeys
Proven technological breakthroughs in monkeys show that people who have gone blind due to injury or disease could soon regain their vision.
This method involves inserting electrons into the monkeys’ brains to produce light dots, according to a study published this week by Dutch experts.
These dots, called phosphenes, work in the same way as pixels on a television, each making up a small part of a larger image.
The patterns are still raw compared to real vision, and the technology has not yet been proven in humans, but it takes researchers one step closer to the ultimate goal of allowing blind people to regain their sight.
The technology, developed by a team at the Dutch Institute of Neuroscience (NIN), was published in the journal Science.
It builds on an idea first formed decades ago: electricity stimulates the brain to ‘see’ it through so-called phosphate dots.
Previous attempts to implement this theory have had little success, largely due to the limited technology available at the time.
NIN director Pieter Roelfsema developed implants in which 1,024 electrons were threaded into the visual cortexes of two visual monkeys.
‘Our implant interacts directly with the brain, passing preliminary levels of visual processing through the eye or the optic nerve,’ explained Xing Chen, a postdoctoral researcher who involved in the research.
So, in the future, such technology could be used to restore low vision in blind people who have suffered an injury or deterioration of the retina, eye, or nerve. optic, but whose visual cortex remains intact. ‘
This graphic shows how a normal person sees (left), how the new technology works (center) and how the tech might be integrated in the future to restore vision in the blind (right).