Bionic eye sends images directly to the brain to restore part of vision

By using two cameras attached to a pair of eyeglasses to record images in real time and transfer information directly to the brain, scientists have created a "bionic eye" to help blind people recover vision. Normal people can see without their eyes ... It's not too late, just in 2016, some blind people in Australia will be implanted with this device and then many diseases. other human beings.

"You basically do not need to use the retina, but you can still see the eyeball," said Arthur Lowery, who led the team at Monash University, Clayton, Victoria . Instead, the scientists implant 11 tiny slides, each containing 43 electrodes, into the areas responsible for visualizing the brain. When these areas of the brain are stimulated, the user will see flashes of light.

This device will not work for those who are blind.

At this point, each electrode creates a bright spot that acts like a pixel. In all, small slices create a 500-pixel "screen," enough to see a simple image. Although this figure is still much smaller than the 1 to 2 million pixel images, the human eye can reproduce, but it can restore the visual elements.

The images received from the camera will be sent to a pocket sized microprocessor that the user will carry. This device is responsible for processing, extracting the components of the image and sending it to the electrodes. "The microprocessor will act as a comic book artist," says Lowery, "and it will reproduce a complex situation with simple information." A face can be recreated by 10 pixels. It sounds less but in fact, the amount of information it brings is more than you think. "

He says a blind receptionist can not know who comes or goes to say hello or goodbye. "But if there is a dot that moves in the distance from close to or backward, that person will be aware of it."

At present, some people suffering from blindness due to trauma have voluntarily transplanted this system. However, the team found that the device would not work for congenital blindness . If everything goes according to plan, the volunteers will wake up after the surgery with some strong sense of vision restored.