The gift of sight is something that we truly cherish. However, for some, due to disorders in the nervous system, especially in cases of diabetes, glaucoma etc, many lose this gift, only to lead a dark life filled with sadness. However, researchers have now developed a bionic eye that can help provide vision to such patients.
The eye has been developed by Mark Humayun -- a professor of ophthalmology and biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California, in LA along with three other faculty members. Its called Argus II and it has also received approval from the FDA in 2013.?
The work behind Argus II started with Humayun¡¯s urge to help his grandma who lost her vision due to diabetes -- this was during the 1980s when he was completing his medical school at Duke University in North Carolina. He spent the next 20 years finding a solution to bringing back people¡¯s vision.?
While researching, he came across two research projects that were experimenting with electrodes -- the technology that is at the heart of Argus II. Looking at the aforementioned researches, he saw that physicians were stimulating the patient¡¯s occipital lobe -- also known as our brain¡¯s vision centre -- with the help of electrodes, looking for parts of the brain that cause seizures.
However, during this he discovered that when the surgeon touched the occipital lobe, the patient could see a spot of light even though no light really existed, that made Humayun think if electrical stimulation is the secret to restoring eyesight.
Argus II consists of wearable components and an implant. The implant includes a small antenna that is placed under the muscles of the eye and a 60-electrode array that is surgically placed in the back of the patient¡¯s eye. It connects it to the retina¡¯s remaining neurons which sends information to the brain¡¯s visual centre through the optic nerve.
For providing the implant with the information, the patient wears a pair of glasses with a small camera that captures the imagery in real-time and sends it to a processor that¡¯s as small as a cellphone. This is then sent to the implant, which later stimulates the retina and allows the patient to see the image in the form of light flashes.
Patients are required to meet with an occupational therapist or low-vision therapist to re-learn seeing using the implant. They are also asked to visit their ophthalmologist for timely software and system servicing.?
This implant doesn¡¯t give its patients HD vision by any means. The images are limited to outlines and boundaries to help them move in the environment, but even that much can be really helpful.
Argus II has bee installed in over 300 patients successfully and helped them get their vision back. For Argus II, Humayun has been awarded this year¡¯s IEEE Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology, along with several other accolades.