It goes without saying that living with blindness has many difficulties. Those of us who have the gift of sight do not completely appreciate the significance of it.
In-depth details on Australian University Creates the First Bionic Eye to Completely Restore Blind People’s Vision
Researchers from all around the world have been trying to find a cure for it using several bionic remedies, but none of them have yet been successful in making it to the market to improve people’s lives. It appears that one candidate has come really close.
With the aid of a brain implant, scientists at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, have created a prosthetic eye that promises to restore eyesight. According to the team, this is the first bionic eye ever created.
The ‘Gennaris bionic vision system’, also known as the bionic eye, has been under development for about ten years. It functions by getting data from the retina to the brain’s vision centres around damaged optic nerves.
The setup is easy. A specially made helmet with a camera and wireless transmitter fitted would need to be worn by the user. The brain is implanted with a series of 9 millimetre tiles that receive signals from the aforementioned receiver.
The Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering at Monash University’s Arthur Lowery said in a statement that “our design creates a visual pattern from combinations of up to 172 spots of light (phosphenes) which provides information for the individual to navigate indoor and outdoor environments, and recognise the presence of people and objects around them.”
In order to improve the lives of those with incurable neurological disorders including quadriplegia and limb paralysis, researchers are working to improve their system. Researchers state that, “If successful, the MVG [Monash Vision Group] team will look to create a new commercial enterprise focused on providing movement to the arms of people paralysed by quadriplegia and vision to people with untreatable blindness, transforming their health care.”
When it was successfully implanted into sheep’s brains using a pneumatic inserter with a total of 2,000 hours of simulation, researchers saw successful outcomes with little negative effects. They are currently working to advance it for its first-ever human clinical trial, which is anticipated to be carried out in Melbourne.
The researchers are currently seeking funds to hasten the production and distribution processes.
