Bionic Eye Sheds Light on Blindness
From: MSNBC - 06/16/2009
By: Robert Bazell

On Tuesday, June 16th we reported on a research project that is literally
allowing blind people to see again. Even though the project has been in
progress for two decades, supported by the Department of Energy - first at
Johns Hopkins now at the University of Southern California - the results have
been limited. But given the enormous challenges, they are still impressive.  

People who were totally blind could at first perceive dots of light that
allowed them to avoid bumping into objects. Now, as the system is
progressing, they can begin to make out the outlines of faces and other large
objects. 

The system works by taking the signal from a tiny camera on a pair of
sunglasses, which then runs through wires that are implanted on the surface
of the retina.  These electrodes stimulate the retinal cells to send signals
to the brain that are perceived as light. 

Read the entire article at:
http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/06/16/1967387.aspx

Links:
Project details, including diagrams
http://www.doheny.org/research/pdfs/arnvol1no1.pdf

USC Biomimetic Microelectronic Systesms
http://bmes-erc.usc.edu/research

Artificial Retina Project
http://artificialretina.energy.gov/

USC researchers detail progress in restoring partial sight to the blind
http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/11278.html

Doheny Eye Institute
http://www.doheny.org/

Second Sight
http://www.2-sight.com/