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Ophthalmologists, Physicists Design Bionic Eye

Posted by timothy on from the who-needs-eyes dept.

InfallibleLies writes "For the first time ever, those who have been blind since birth will have a chance to see the world. It's still in the early stages, but this is a giant leap forward in medical science." From the linked BBC article: "U.S 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."

9 of 344 comments (clear)

  1. Nonvisible wavelenghts? by bird603568 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Would it be possible to make it "see" infared. Then it would translated it to false color? It would be like the first upgrade in Rouge angent.

    1. Re:Nonvisible wavelenghts? by Nebu · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There's no need for it to be translated into "false color". The brain would interpret infrared exactly as it would interpret any other color. What would infrared look like to someone using this chip? Well, that would be like describing what red looks like to someone who is blind.

    2. Re:Nonvisible wavelenghts? by UserChrisCanter4 · · Score: 5, Funny

      The first upgrade in Rouge agent would be Covergirl or possibly Lancome.

  2. From birth? by puppyfox · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm not so sure that people bling from birth will benefit from any such device. That part of their brain is not even developed, you can't just "plug in" some video feed and expect them to see, do you?

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    1. Re:From birth? by puppyfox · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Fact is, the brain keeps developing after the baby is born, so even if you're perfectly normal but blindfolded (or in the dark) for you first few years, you won't be able to ever see "normally". Same goes for some other complex brain functions, like using language. One of those funny facts that stick with you from college classes :)

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  3. Not for those who have been blind since birth... by SkOink · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If I recall correctly, people who have been blind their whole lives can never really 'learn' to see, after age 3 or so. At least, not on anywhere near the same level that people can see naturally, even assuming that they had an absolutely perfect prothesis. Who this will benefit are people who have went blind at some point during their adult life due to injury, glaucoma, diabetes (yes, it can make you go blind), drinking too much rubbing alcohol, or something similar.

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  4. Not exactly true . . . by gcauthon · · Score: 5, Informative

    It may help people that were blinded later in life through an accident or cataracts. However, if someone is blind from birth then their visual cortex never develops and vision would be impossible even with an artificial eye. Many studies have been done. Click here here and here for more info.

  5. hmmm. by sugapablo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So how long before upgrades make this "bionic eye" significantly better than a human eye?

    Will we reach a point where attaching this bionic eye becomes an elective surgery where someone wants to simply improve their eyesight beyond 20/20; beyond what a mere "human" can see?

    Breast inlargements, designer babies, bionic implants....where is it all going?

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  6. WARNING! DONT CLICK ON PARENT LINK!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It takes you to a star trek site