Researchers construct artificial eye for the blind

Australian scientists developed prototype for bionic eye

08/31/2012

An Australian research team succeeded in developing a primitive bionic eye. For this purpose, the specialists of a blind woman implanted 24 electrodes on the retina. The patients suffering from congenital retinal degeneration then saw a flash of light. Now bionics eyes with 98 and more electrodes are to be developed in order to make large objects visible and to enable blind people to read in the future. This was announced by Australian science consortium Bionic Vision Australia (BVA) on Thursday.

Bionic eye is said to bridge organic dysfunction
The "early prototype" is intended to be a preliminary version of the first bionic eye, which bridges organically caused malfunctions of the eye by means of technical sensors.

"The electrodes were implanted to the visually impaired Diane Ashworth on her defective retina," reports the BVA. In healthy people, the retina converts the image filtered by the lens and other layers into nerve impulses and transmits the information to the brain. The prototype of the bionic eye contains 24 electrodes to replace this function. "This is a world first - we have implanted a device in the position just behind the retina, showing the feasibility of our approach. Each stage of the procedure was planned and tested, so I was very confident, "explains Penny Allen of the Center for Eye Research Australia, which uses the implant with Diane Ashworth and her team.

Artificial eye in congenital blindness or retinal diseases
The special technique will be used in the future both for congenital blindness and for later acquired retinal diseases. An area of ​​application could be, for example, age-related retinal degeneration. However, the prototype only works if it is connected in the laboratory by the scientists. "The first tests were very satisfactory," the researchers report. In order to find out what causes the generated images in the patient's head, they stimulated the electrodes in the laboratory. A "visual processor" sheds light on Diane Ashworth's sense impressions, so it can be understood how the brain interprets the information transmitted by the electrodes, reports Rob Shepherd, a senior scientist.

"Suddenly I saw a small flash, it was amazing. With each stimulation, a different form appeared in front of my eye, "says the patient herself." The team pays attention to the consistency of shapes, brightness, size and location of the flashes to see how the brain interprets this information, "explains Shepherd.

"The results met our best expectations, which makes us confident that we can achieve our vision as we move forward," says Professor Emeritus David Penington, chairman of the BVA.

Bionic eye is to be developed with 98 and 1024 electrodes
The Australian scientists have ambitious plans. "Researchers continue to develop and test the 98-Electrode Vision Implant and the Very High Vision Implant with 1024 Electrodes. Testing on patients for these devices will be scheduled in due course, "the BVA said.

From the devices with 98 implants, the scientists hope to make large objects visible. 1024 electrodes should be sufficient to allow even sharp vision, so that faces are recognizable and affected persons can read. (Ag)

Read about:
Eye: Biosynthetic cornea developed
Black dots in front of the eyes often harmless
Dry eyes: In the worst case, blindness threatens