New Eyes For Old...

From: coelacanth1938 <chacoanasazi_at_aol.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 18:22:27 -0000

There's hope...

Bionic eye 'ready for human trials'

Australian inventors are looking for a small group of volunteers to
start human trials of a 'bionic eye'.

The device consists of a silicon chip inserted into the eyeball and a
pair of 'camera glasses' worn by users.

Images from the glasses are broken down into pixels and passed to the
tiny chip, which acts like a retina.

The chip simulates the images and transmits a message to the retinal
cells along a series of small wires.

ABC reports tests on animals have been successful and designer Gregg
Suaning now wants to begin trials on a group of about five human
volunteers.

It says volunteers must be profoundly blind as people with partial
sight will be excluded because of the potential risk of visual damage.

The research team has already held talks with Royal Blind Society and
Retina Australia about finding suitable volunteers.

Suaning, of Australia's University of Newcastle, has been working on
the project for five years. He said: "The principle of a bionic eye
is very similar to that of the bionic ear. It is a silicon chip which
decodes the radio signals and delivers simulations.

"The chip sends message to the retinal cells through small wires. We
broadcast basically into the body. It's like a radio station that
only has a range of 25 millimetres."

A separate processing unit makes 'sense' of the camera images by
looking for certain features, such as doorways of light. Current
technology means the unit is only able to send 10x10 pixel images,
but Suaning hopes this will improve with time.


Story filed: 10:35 Tuesday 20th August 2002
Received on Wed Aug 21 2002 - 11:22:29 CDT