Bionic Eye Implant Can Help the Blind See Again

Millions of people are losing their vision – but some of them may be about to get a second shot at sight, thanks to a new bionic eye implant.  
 
The implant consists of a computer chip surgically implanted near the retina, the eye's light-gathering area, with an ultra-thin wire running from the chip to the optic nerve. After the implant installation, the user wears specially-designed sunglasses fitted with a compact camera and a transmitting device – not so stylish, perhaps, but very helpful. Images are transmitted to the bionic eye implant, then sent on to the brain via the wire in the user's optic nerve.        
 
The implant won't give anyone 20-20 vision, but at the very least, it will allow the severely vision-impaired to get a general sense of their surroundings. Once again, they'll be able to recognize familiar faces and even facial expressions, allowing them to interact more fully in social situations. Though the implant cannot help those who've been blind since birth, it should be effective for millions who've lost sight over time. 
 
"What level of achievement that would actually be is hard to know; but the idea is of not having to use the white cane - to walk around, find the sidewalk, avoiding a telephone pol," said John Wyatt, co-director of the Boston Retinal Implant Project. "Being able to navigate safely in an unfamiliar environment, that's the big topic." 
 
The bionic eye implant is scheduled to undergo testing this summer in animal subjects and, if successful, will move on to human trials. All going well, millions of people will finally have the chance to see their loved ones' faces again with the bionic eye implant – and a pair of clunky glasses seems a small price to pay for that privilege.