[nfb-talk] Bionic Eye

[Steve Jacobson]

Apparently too subtle for me this morning.  <smile>


On Sat, 17 Feb 2007 11:48:31 -0500, Wm. Ritchhart wrote:

>Steve,

>Aaron's comment about getting around was extremely suttle sarcasm. 


>William
> 

>-----Original Message-----
>From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>On Behalf Of Steve Jacobson
>Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 11:34 AM
>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Bionic Eye

>Aaron,

>I tend to believe that something like this probably will help some
>people, but I also think there is reason to be a little 
>reserved in our responses as well.  If I understand this article
>correctly, even 64 electrodes is not going to provide much 
>detail, so the device that might provide some very useful artificial
>vision sounds as though it is perhaps a decade away.  
>Also, those of us whose optical nerve is messed up probably won't be
>helped, and the jury is still out on what kind of 
>retraining of the visual center of the brain can be done.  This won't be
>an issue for those who have recently lost vision, 
>though, and that is a sizeable part of the population.  

>On the other hand, I have been hearing of systems that allow the reading
>of large letters and visual recognition of braille 
>for over twenty years now, and nothing seems to have happened as quickly
>as newspaper articles claim they will.  
>Technology is such that it probably will happen, look at the reader, but
>how well they work and when it happens is 
>probably far from certain.

>Aaron, what did you mean about not getting around by yourself?  If you
>are referring to transportation, I can understand 
>that, but if you have other questions about getting around by yourself
>by all means ask.

>Best regards,

>Steve Jacobson
>  
>On Sat, 17 Feb 2007 09:49:08 -0600, Aaron Cannon wrote:

>>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>>Hash: SHA1

>>"The ultimate aim is to allow people recognize faces, and to allow the
>>completely blind to get around on their own,"

>>That will be incredible!  I can't wait to be able to get around on my
>own,
>>because I sure can't do that now.

>>Seriously though, the technology is interesting.  I just wish they
>didn't
>>hold them selves out as the last hope of the hopeless blind.

>>Aaron


>>- --
>>Skype: cannona
>>MSN/Windows Messenger: cannona at hotmail.com (don't send email to the
>hotmail
>>address.)
>>- ----- Original Message -----
>>From: "RyanO" <rosentowski at neb.rr.com>
>>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 8:34 AM
>>Subject: [nfb-talk] Bionic Eye


>>>From the U.K. Science-Times:

>>February 17, 2007

>>Bionic eye restores sight to the blind

>>Mark Henderson, Science Editor, in San Francisco

>>A bionic eye that can restore sight to the blind should be available
>>commercially within two years, scientists behind the revolutionary
>>technology announced
>>yesterday.

>>The artificial retina has been cleared by US regulators to begin trials
>on
>>between 50 and 75 people suffering from two of the most common causes
>of
>>blindness,
>>opening the way for millions more to benefit from similar implants in
>the
>>future.

>>If the research progresses well, a device could be on the market early
>in
>>2009 at a likely cost of about £15,000, said Mark Humayun, Professor of
>>Ophthalmology
>>at the Doheny Eye Institute, part of the University of Southern
>California.

>>An early version of the prosthetic retina has already been fitted to
>six
>>patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative and incurable eye
>>condition
>>that affects 1 in 3,500 people. All have recovered the ability to
>detect
>>light and motion, and even to make out large letters and to distinguish
>>between
>>objects such as a cup, a knife and a plate.

>>The second-generation device that is now starting trials should provide
>even
>>better vision, as it contains 60 light-sensitive electrodes, compared
>with
>>16 in the previous model.

>>More improvements are expected within five to seven years with a
>>1000-electrode implant that will enable previously blind people to
>recognise
>>faces, Professor
>>Humayun said.

>>"The ultimate aim is to allow people recognise faces, and to allow the
>>completely blind to get around on their own," he told the American
>>Association for
>>the Advancement of Science conference in San Francisco. "The first
>phase
>>began in 2002, and the results were not what we expected: we thought
>they
>>would
>>only see light and dark, but they have done far better than that.

>>"They can differentiate between a cup, a plate and a knife. They can
>see
>>motion. They can avoid stumbling around into large objects. That is
>just
>>with 16
>>electrodes, and we're now going up to 60. The models suggest 1,000 will
>be
>>enough for face recognition, and we hope to get there in five to seven
>>years."


>>The bionic eye consists of three elements. First, a miniature camera
>worn in
>>a pair of dark glasses, which transmits images to a radio receiver
>implanted
>>near the patient's eye.

>>This then sends a signal on to a tiny silicon and platinum chip, about
>4mm
>>square, that sits on the retina. The chip's electrodes stimulate the
>>ganglion
>>cells that transmit visual information to the optic nerve and onwards
>to the
>>brain, which can then construct a visual image.

>>"A plate is seen as a saucer of light, and a knife as a runway of
>light,"
>>Professor Humayun said. "It works by building up images like a
>dot-matrix
>>printer,
>>or pixels on a computer screen." The implant is suitable for people who
>are
>>blind because they have lost the photoreceptor cells known as rods and
>cones
>>that respond to light - the electrodes effectively provide artificial
>>replacements. This includes those with macular degeneration - the most
>>common cause
>>of blindness, which affects up to 15 per cent of over-75s.

>>The technology cannot restore sight to patients who are blind because
>of
>>severe optic nerve damage, such as that caused by glaucoma, or because
>of a
>>stroke.


>>Professor Humayun said that it would also work better for people who
>have
>>been able to see as older children or adults, than for those who have
>been
>>blind
>>since birth.

>>It generally takes patients a month or two to get used to the Argus
>device,
>>before their brains learn to interpret the images. While the operation
>to
>>install
>>it took seven hours originally, it now takes 90 minutes.

>>In the first phase of the trials, patients were able to use the implant
>in
>>the laboratory only. For the past year they have also been allowed to
>try it
>>at home. "Perhaps what we're most excited about in this next study is
>we
>>will be able to test the new device with patients at their homes,
>churches,
>>schools
>>and similar locations," Professor Humayun said.

>>The trials will be conducted at five centres in the US, on patients
>over 50.
>>The US Food and Drug Administration has insisted on older subjects as
>they
>>have less to lose if the experiments go wrong.

>>Thousands of people have already volunteered.



>>RyanO

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