Bionic Eyes: How Tech Is Replacing Lost Vision
Bionic eyes could be the solution to one of the most pressing medical issues of our time. The creation of bionic eyes, as a result of recent advances in science and technology, are restoring hope to many who are unable to see or are partially sighted due to injury, illness or genetics.
With nearly 40 million people suffering from blindness worldwide and another 135 million affected by low vision, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the need for new solutions is pressing. Could bionic eye technology lead the way?
A healthy eye takes in light through the pupil and a lens focuses that light onto the back of the eye, where there is a thick layer of light sensitive tissue called the retina. Cells called photoreceptors turn the light into electrical signals which travel down the optic nerve to the brain, which then interprets the images.
But problems occur when part of that system is interrupted, often by degenerative diseases which can damage parts of the retina. This is where technology steps in to bridge the gap in the part of the process which is missing or damaged.
Bionic Eye Technology
In 2009 surgeons at Manchester and Moorfields hospital, in the U.K. delivered the world’s first trial of the Argus II bionic eye to patients with…
