Blind Woman’s Joy as She Is Able to Read the Time Thanks to 'Bionic Eye'
From: Medical Design Technology - 01/05/2016

A patient who is the first in the UK to receive the world's most advanced
'bionic eye' has been able to read the time for the first time in more than
five years.

The mother-of-two Rhian Lewis, of Cardiff (UK), was diagnosed with retinitis
pigmentosa – a disorder that destroys the light sensitive cells called
photoreceptors in the retina – when she was five.

She is completely blind in her right eye and has virtually no vision in her
left eye as a result of the condition, for which there is no cure.

But behind the destroyed photoreceptors she still had an intact optic nerve
and all the brain wiring needed for vision, making it possible to restore
vision if only a way could be found to substitute the function of the
photoreceptors.

The wafer-thin retinal implant chip – which measures 3x3mm - is inserted into
the back of the eye to replace damaged photoreceptors in a delicate six to
eight hour operation.

The chip has been developed by German engineering firm Retina Implant AG and
captures the light entering the eye to stimulate the nerve cells of the inner
retina to deliver signals to the brain through the optic nerve.

The device is connected to a tiny computer that sits underneath the skin
behind the ear. This is powered by a magnetic coil which is applied to the
skin - from the outside this looks similar to a hearing aid. The device is
switched on once everything has healed up after the surgery.

It takes time for users to learn to interpret the sight the implant provides
as, for most of the trial patients, the parts of the brain responsible for
interpreting vision have been dormant for a long time.

When the device is first switched on they will often see flashes of light,
but over a few weeks the brain converts those flashes into meaningful shapes
and objects to build up an image.

This image is black and white and grainy, rather like early television
pictures, but for patients who have spent years without any sight at all this
improvement can be life changing.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.mdtmag.com/news/2016/01/blind-womans-joy-she-able-read-time-thanks-bionic-eye

Links:
British woman with 'bionic eye' speaks of joy after reading clock for first time in years (with video 0:40)
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/05/woman-bionic-eye-joy-reading-clock-rhian-lewis

How bionic eye helped me see again after six years
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3384635/How-bionic-eye-helped-six-years-Mother-tells-pure-joy-seeing-car-able-read-clock-revolutionary-device-fitted.html