Futuristic Eye Implant for the Blind

It was in April 2002 that Dr Kenneth R. Smith Jr, a US based neurosurgeon implanted a potentially revolutionary electronic eye device that allowed 8 blind persons to see. Presenting the report on June 13, 2002 at the 48th annual meeting of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs in New York, the surgeons described the implant as an artificial vision system that is a more complicated version of the visor worn by Geordi La Forge, the blind chief engineer in the science fiction television show Star Trek: The Next Generation. Patients are implanted with devices that act as artificial eyes by stimulating the visual cortex of the brain.

Two patients, who had been totally blind before their surgeries in April, have already learned to use the prosthetic system well enough to slowly drive cars on private property. They could walk freely around a laboratory, avoid obstacles and look outside a window to see a tree.

The artificial vision system is designed for patients who have lost their vision from an injury and are not candidates for retinal implants. The procedure costs $98,000. Patients use special sunglasses fitted with a miniature television camera and a microcomputer and stimulator. The gear attaches by cable to a tiny fire hydrant-like device implanted in the back of the skull that connects to electrodes on the surface of the visual part of the brain.

Patients don't have "normal" vision." Instead, they see white flashes of light that resemble stars on a black background, and learn to interpret the patterns so they can gain mobility.

"By putting an array of electrodes in the brain, patients see a pattern of white spots that they could learn to interpret well enough to get some useful vision," Chief surgeon Smith said.

He further added, "As our technology improves and becomes less costly, Braille will become obsolete, the long cane will become obsolete and the guide dog will become obsolete as surely as the airplane replaced the steamship".