Until very recently, restoring vision through artificial prosthesis seemed like a fantasy reserved for Star Trek characters. In the 1990s, researchers began to make the fantasy a reality: various methods were devised to allow persons with visual impairments to achieve some degree of sight, through implanted electrodes, microchips and cameras that stimulate receptor cells.
The latest advancement comes from Doctors Weiland and Humayun of the Doheny Eye Institute at the University of Southern California. The scientists and their team have developed and tested a "microelectronic implant" that has successfully allowed individuals to identify simple objects (for example, differentiate between a cup and a plate) and discern the direction of motion. The authors hope to continue their studies to improve sight resolution, enable face recognition, limit the risks of infection, and address other practical concerns.
To learn more about the human eye and implants, you can read Weiland and Humayun's paper here. For more information on visual impairments, check out these resources held at the CeDIR library:
-Blindsight (documentary)
-Children with visual impairments: a parents' guide
-No end in sight: my life as a blind Iditarod racer
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