In a medical breakthrough that sounds like the stuff of science fiction, blind people have been able to read again thanks to a revolutionary eye implant.
The microchip was inserted under the retinas of 38 blind people as part of a landmark global study, the results of which were published this week. All those taking part had untreatable age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness for over-50s and affects some five million people worldwide. For 84% of participants, the device enabled them to see again.
“I was an avid bookworm, and I wanted that back,” said Sheila Irvine (main image), who took part in the multi-country trial at London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital. “It was dead exciting when I began seeing a letter. It’s not simple, learning to read again, but the more hours I put in, the more I pick up. It’s made a big difference. Reading takes you into another world, I’m definitely more optimistic now.”
Designed by US-based Science Corporation, the chip is paired with a set of video recording glasses, which transmit live footage to a pocket computer that converts the footage into an electronic signal. This signal is then beamed to the chip, which sends it through the retinal and optical nerve cells and into the brain, where it is interpreted as vision.
“In the history of artificial vision, this represents a new era,” said Mahi Muqit, senior vitreoretinal consultant at Moorfields. “[It has] has never been done before.”
Image: Vanessa Bumbeers
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