Contents
Technologies that so far could only be admired in science fiction films are becoming commonplace in modern medicine. And the one that Dutch scientists are working on can give 40 million blind people a chance to see the world. It is an implant that produces image patterns directly in the brain. Work on this breakthrough technology has just been described in the scientific journal “Science”.
- Thanks to the implant, monkeys can see individual letters of the alphabet, lines and moving dots
- Geordi La Forge face shields from Star Trek: The Next Generation may be available after the development of a new generation of electrodes
- Devices developed by Dutch scientists would make it possible for people who have lost their eyesight as a result of disease or trauma to see
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
How does an implant work to restore sight to the blind?
First, it avoids the eyes completely. It was constructed based on an idea from several dozen years ago. It is about electrically stimulating the brain so that it “sees” glowing dots called phosphenes, resembling pixels on a computer screen. Until recently, science did not yet have sufficiently advanced technology, but now a team from the Dutch Institute of Neuroscience (NIN) is testing the implant’s operation in monkeys. The visual cortex is stimulated, which in primates and humans is located at the back of the brain and shares many features.
A team of scientists led by the director of NIN, Dr. Pieter Roelfsem, developed an implant consisting of 1024 electrodes, thanks to which a high image resolution was obtained, connected to the visual cortex of two sighted monkeys.
“The number of electrodes we have implanted into the visual cortex and the number of artificial pixels we can generate to produce an image is unprecedented,” says Dr Roelfsem.
The device allowed the monkeys to see shapes such as letters, lines, and moving dots. Scientists know that animals can see them because they have previously taught them to react to them. The monkeys had to move their eyes in a certain direction to get the prize.
The monochrome patterns are still very imperfect compared to real vision, but represent a big step up from previous implants which only allowed to distinguish between light and shadow areas.
Human vision implants can be made in three years
Dr. Roelfs compared the operation of his neuroprosthetic device to a matrix of signs set up by highways. In the future, it may look like a camera or glasses that, using artificial intelligence, transform the image of the environment into a pattern sent directly to the user’s brain.
We have seen a similar technology so far in SF movies, let’s recall the Geordi La Forge face shield from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Meanwhile, neurosurgeons at the University of Pennsylvania, Michael Beauchamp and Daniel Yoshor, have already hailed the Dutch invention as a “technical feat.”
The NIN team took advantage of advances in miniaturization and also developed a system that provides the level of input signals to create noticeable, but not too large, dots. This has been made possible by placing some electrodes in a more specialized part of the visual cortex, where the signal can be monitored and its level adjusted accordingly.
The team of dr. Roelfsema predicts that similar devices will be made for humans in about three years, but they will require a different type of electrode. The ones in use today are equipped with silicone needles that last about a year because they are blocked by accumulating tissue around them.
The best solution would be to develop a wireless device. Then the user would not have to insert the implant at the back of the skull, avoid surgery and risk infection.
The “wireless eye” would be intended only for people who used to see normally and then lost their eyesight as a result of illness or injury. In these people, the area of the brain responsible for vision is idle, waiting for data that never comes. In contrast, the brains of people who are blind from birth use the visual cortex for other functions.
See also:
- Is laser vision correction dangerous? Checking!
- Test your medical knowledge! These questions were really asked in “Millionaires” [QUIZ]
- Eight tests worth doing at least once a year
- Diseases to which your blood type may expose you [WE EXPLAIN]
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.