The first artificial sight 'chip' for blind people arrives in London
At Moorsfield Hospital microprocessors have been implanted in the eyes of patients that send a visual impulse to the brain
At Moorfields Hospital in London, the world's first artificial vision was tested: a 'revolutionary' device was implanted in dozens of patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and more than 80% of them reported significant improvements.
A bionic microprocessor
Blind patients can again read and recognise faces thanks to a 'revolutionary' bionic chip that marks a new era for computer vision. The implant is an ultra-thin, 2 mm by 2 mm wireless microchip that is inserted under the retina and connects to a camera mounted on a pair of augmented reality glasses.
The camera records the images in front of the patient, then artificial intelligence is used to convert the information into an infrared signal that is transmitted to the implant. The implant stimulates the undamaged internal retinal neurons so that they can transmit the signal to the brain, via the optic nerve, where it is interpreted as vision.
A widespread pathology
Approximately600,000 people in theUK suffer from AMD, a number that is expected to increase as the population ages, but currently there is no cure and the condition can only be managed with injections to slow the damage.
