[vip_students] Re: Fw: 'Bionic eyes' give the blind hope - Yahoo! News UK
- From: "Paul Traynor" <paul.traynor@xxxxxxx>
- To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:36:13 +0100
Hi Vincent,
Yes, this is a very exciting article. I listened to it on the sky news
yesterday evening and found it really good. Here is the text of the article
for anyone who is interested.
'Bionic eyes' give the blind hope
ITN - Monday, April 21 03:20 pmThe first UK operations have been carried out
to implant "bionic eyes" into blind patients with a hereditary disease
affecting the retina.
(Advertisement)
An artificial retinal device has been successfully implanted into the eyes
of two blind patients as part of a clinical study at Moorfields Eye Hospital
in London.
The trial aims to restore a basic level of useful vision to people suffering
severe blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a group of inherited eye
diseases that affects the retina.
The technology consists of a tiny camera and transmitter mounted in a pair
of glasses.
The camera transmits a wireless signal to an ultra-thin electronic receiver
and electrode panel that are implanted in the eye and attached to the
retina.
The electrodes stimulate the remaining retinal nerves allowing a signal to
be passed along the optic nerve to the brain, which perceives patterns of
light and dark spots corresponding to the electrodes that are stimulated.
The operations were carried out by consultant retinal surgeon Lyndon da Cruz
and his team at Moorfields, under the supervision of US colleagues who
developed the device with the company Second Sight in the US.
Mr da Cruz said: "Moorfields is proud to have been one of only three sites
in Europe chosen to be part of evolving this exciting new technology.
"The devices were implanted successfully in both patients and they are
recovering well from the operations.
"It is very special to be part of a programme developing a totally new type
of treatment for patients who would otherwise have no chance of visual
improvement."
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