Our biological eye is ready for human testing

Healthy eyesight is a common part of many people’s lives. However, not everyone is lucky and many face various vision problems. However, for those with some form of blindness, it shines for the best of times, thanks to the experimental bionic eye, which in a way restores vision. The portal drew attention to the topic New Atlas.

Bionic eye restores vision to the blind

The following is from a study published in a periodical Biomaterials, A biological eye developed by a team of biomedical experts from the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales is ready for human testing after three months of research, he writes. U.S.Nivarsida v. Sydney On your site.

University of Sydney

Experts from these universities have succeeded in proving a new biological eye called the Phoenix⁹⁹ Stable, reliable and secure, it opens the door to human testing.

“Phoenix⁹⁹ There is An adaptive system designed to restore certain types of vision in patients with severe vision impairment or blindness caused by degenerative disease such as retinitis pigmentosa. “ The university statement said.

Therefore, the prosthesis is designed for people with visual impairment and blindness, in which the optic nerve remains intact despite retinal damage.

The device consists of two main fitting parts – a trigger and a contact module designed to attach to the eye, which are placed under the skin behind the patient’s ear. The system for restoring my vision to the blind was tested on sheep and showed very promising results. This means that no adverse reaction was observed in the tissues surrounding these components and the whole system worked as expected.

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Based on the results, the panel of experts is currently working on the development and upgrade of this device, while seeking approval for the protocol acceptance of the clinical trial in humans.

How does it work?

This system stimulates the retina, excludes dysfunctional cells, stimulates healthy cells directly, and mainly deceives the brain. More specifically, Phoenix is ​​a patient fitted with a pionic eye⁹⁹ Places a stimulus in the eye and a communication module is fitted behind the ear.

The computer has a small camera attached to the glass that captures the wearer’s front view, while the resulting image is processed as a set of stimulus mechanisms. These instructions are transmitted wirelessly via the skin to the contact module.

The module encodes these mechanisms as electrical pulses sent to the stimulus module located in the retina of the damaged eye (s). In this way, the device passes through damaged retinal optic neurons – those that have lost the ability to respond to light – and directly stimulate functional cells, which are responsible for collecting input from other retinal cells and sending it to the brain via the optic nerve. , Writes New Atlas.

However, as scientists themselves admit, the result is very different from what we call “normal vision”. Phoenix⁹⁹ It seems to provide patients with “just” very simple information about their surroundings. In particular, patients with implants can identify nearby obstacles, better orient themselves, or be able to read larger letters.