2nd-Gen Retinal Implant: See for Yourself

An earlier post looked at a second-generation retinal implant that’s heading for clinical testing. Here’s an image from the BBC of how the implant works. Meanwhile, here’s a caveat for anyone thinking a cure for blindness is on the horizon: Dr. John Loewenstein, an associate chief of ophthalmology with the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary […]

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An earlier post looked at a second-generation retinal implant that's heading for clinical testing. Here's an image from the BBC of how the implant works.

Meanwhile, here's a caveat for anyone thinking a cure for blindness is on the horizon:

Dr. John Loewenstein, an associate chief of ophthalmology with the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, cautioned that even these cutting-edge technologies cannot promise anything like complete eyesight.

"This is by no means a slam-dunk, in the sense that it will provide true vision in the way we usually think about it," said Loewenstein, who is also an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and involved in similar work.

"I don't want to denigrate the work, and this is a beginning," he said. "But the retina's electrical transmission process is very sophisticated, and we simply don't yet understand the language well enough to simulate it."

Trials for 'bionic' eye implants [BBC] and Retinal Implant Restores Limited Sight to Blind [Healthday]