The idea of making a blind man see used to be reserved strictly for the Bible, but new technology is looking to step in and offer an electronic solution all its own. Second Sight has recently completed work on the Argus II, and for those suffering from a degenerative disease known as retinitis pigmentosa, it's representing a whole new chance to see again.
The Argus II is a retinal implant which works for eyes in much the same way a cochlear implant works for ears. First, the Argus II implant is inserted into the patient's eye, then connected wirelessly to a camera worn on a pair of glasses. The camera records light, which it transmits back to the implant, which then activates a set of electrodes in the eye itself. Said electrodes transmit stimulus back to the brain, which processes the received signals and interprets the information as a low-resolution black and white picture.
The Argus II has been selling in Europe since 2011, and received FDA approval back in February, selling at a full $100,000 each. Second Sight has been testing the devices on an outpatient basis since 1992, mostly facing issues over potential tissue damage. Potential tissue damage is an issue when it comes to getting FDA approval, but Second Sight's co-founder and CEO, Robert Greenberg, notes that damaging eye tissue in a blind person is somewhat redundant. The risk-to-benefit ratio in such a case, Greenberg elaborated, made FDA approval possible.
But for those who have received an Argus II implant, and gone from blind to at least partially sighted, the patient reaction has been mainly happy. But Second Sight isn't happy with the status quo; future versions of the Argus II look to add color to images.
In all likelihood, resolution will also improve; imagine reaching a point where a retinal implant could display images in 1080p like a standard big-screen television. It's not so outlandish; indeed, small cell phone cameras product 1080p video as it stands, so getting such a camera into a retinal implant may only be a matter of time. Indeed, further expansions—infrared, ultraviolet, night vision, and so on—all may well be only a matter of time away.
It may well be difficult to conceive of a future in which retinal implants might prove to be better than our actual eyes, but a future in which blindness can be solved with retinal implant is much more conceivable than it was even just 20 years ago. Admittedly, the costs are shockingly high, but as more companies get into the fray, prices will inevitably come down and quality will inevitably go up as market forces apply to companies eager to land new business. It could just be a bright future after all, especially for those who have lost their sight to degenerative diseases.
Edited by
Rich Steeves
