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Patients get Solar Implants in Eyes

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the and-you-thought-lasik-was-badass dept.

Ben Sullivan writes "As reported at Science Blog, ophthalmologists have implanted Artificial Silicon Retina microchips in the eyes of five patients to treat vision loss caused by retinitis pigmentosa. The implant is a 2mm chip that contains about 5,000 microscopic solar cells that convert light into electrical impulses. Already some patients have experienced improvements such as not bumping into objects around the house, and being able to read the time on a clock."

2 of 286 comments (clear)

  1. Incrediably important by UlfGabe · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This development is very very^H^H^H^H^H important. I have been reading the material on this stuff and it looks as if it is possible to give people devoid of sight, some sight back.

    THE REAL treasure here is knowing the brain can adapt. Think about it, they were deprived of sight, and then their brain was able to REORGANIZE itself to understand totally FOREIGN signals and use them as input.

    It demonstrates how our wetware is more adaptable than any hardware.

    --
    Check journal for info on Anti-TextBook, an idea by me.
  2. MPAA owns your eyes by tepples · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One of [the] cool features [of a science-fictional eye implant that this product resembles] was that you could pull pictures and video off of it, as well as see through it. It was an in-skull camera.

    Watch people with implants be banned from entering movie theaters.