Bionic vision with-in four years

Researchers in Australia claim that we could see successful "bionic eyes" with-in four years, which could help people with advanced retinal degeneration.

News.com.au reports a prototype for the 98 electrode eye processing system has been showcased at the CeBit Exhibition by experts from the ICT Research Centre of Excellence at the National ICT Australia (NICTA) and could be ready by the year 2014.

A video camera built into a pair of glasses transmits images in real time to a handheld, video processing unit.  Light patterns represented as electrical pulses are transmitted from the unit to a rentinal implant contaimning an array of electrodes.  These electrodes will activate remaining retinal cells that send visual information along the optic nerve to the brain, where the image is interpreted.

Quote from Centre for Eye Research Australia

The NICTA are working on developing a microelectronic chip consisting of more than 1,000 electrodes with a tiny wireless data link, which will be implanted in a patient’s eye.

The intrenwsion is to create a divice that helps blind and visually impaired people in the same way that hearing ainds help the deaf.  Guide dogs and whote canes are useful in helping the blind navigate their way around bit don;t overcomethe problems with over-hanging objects.  The bionic eye will help distinguish such obsticals and help give back independence to people with sight loss.

Read more about ther bionic eye from the  NICTA by clicking here.