Bionic eye seen closer to reality

Australian researchers at Bionic Vision Australia have brought new microchip research a step closer to in fact implanting its wide-view bionic eye into a patient.

Dr. Suaning states, "This is a remarkable new microchip that has brought an Australian retinal implant much closer to reality."He adds, "At only five square millimeters, the device is tiny, however represents a significant advance in nerve stimulation research. It has 98 precisely-controlled stimulation channels and numerous features that allow for the delivery of electrical stimulation that can restore some sense of vision."The innovation team at Bionic Vision Australia hopes to have a bionic eye in operation so that vision impaired people can better see and function in this world.A microchip within the wide-view bionic vision system stimulates the retinal cells to produce vision. The bionic eye system being developed by the Australian team consists of a camera, which is attached to a pair of glasses. The camera receives images and sends them to a processing unit in other words worn by the user.A wireless transmitter at the time sends the data to a microchip in the retinal implant. Furthermore, the microchip decodes this data and produces the electrical stimulation in the retina.These signals are then and there sent along the optic nerve to the brain where they are interpreted as sight.Page two continues.