Microchip gives blind chance of sight
January 28, 2002 | Source: KurzweilAI
A computer chip implanted near the eye’s retina is may offer some restored vision to people blinded by eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related degeneration of the eye.
To capture images, an external camera mounted in an eyeglass frame captures the image and converts it into an electrical signal that is then electronically transmitted to a flexible silicon biochip surgically attached near the retina. The chip electronically stimulates the healthy cells of the retina, which sends the signals conveying the image to the brain.
Dr. Mark Humayun is leading the Office of Naval Research-funded research at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.