3 ms·

There is more. Perhaps its better to encourage the research of methods that can restore vision partly. If you think about it, the low vision is workable to a lo

There is more. Perhaps its better to encourage the research of methods that can restore vision partly. If you think about it, the low vision is workable to a lot of these people, who have known the complete darkness called blindness. Maybe start off in the same manner as the television research. First black and white, low resolution then onwards to full sight. It shouldn't be "All or Nothing" always. Low cost procedures are really the need of the hour. Some people do think like this indeed, but majority of people don't. Articles like this are nice reminders for this.

dm2 13y ago
I'm not sure that the device itself is the costly part though (other than the research to develop it). The main cost right now seems to be the surgery, brain surgery ain't cheap, especially when it's experimental procedures. An easier surgery is really what is needed. If surgeons could just lift up the eye and clamp the device onto the optical nerve then the cost would decrease dramatically. There are some research teams working on the lower cost method. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2195683/Bionic-eye-breakthrough-Australian-woman-receives-radical-world-implant.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2195683/Bioni... Most of the transplants are lower resolution to reduce device size (smaller computer components and battery). If you can perfect the lower resolution device then increasing the resolution and adding colors would be relatively easy. I'm amazed that scientists can "talk" to the brain and how successful some of these procedures have been, truly fascinating times we live in. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurostimulation#Visual_Prosthesis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurostimulation#Visual_Prosthe... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain%E2%80%93computer_interface http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain%E2%80%93computer_interfac... I was about to say that you'll never see a BCI kickstarter, but sure enough there is one: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/openbci/openbci-an-open-source-brain-computer-interface-fo https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/openbci/openbci-an-open... It can't talk back to the brain unfortunately, but it's a step in the right direction. http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/BTO/ http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/BTO/ was launched 5 days ago (NOT an April fools joke), usually DARPA does a pretty good job of rapidly advancing technology. http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2014/04/01.aspx http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2014/04/01.aspx http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/BTO/Programs/Reliable_Neural-Interface_Technology_RE_NET.aspx http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/BTO/Programs/Reliable_Neural-I... I guess the true holy-grail for this would be to pack in some "putty" into the eye-socket and let the eye re-grow based on your DNA, I doubt that will be available soon but a biological solution to blindness should definitely be explored as well.
- rikacomet 13y ago
  I know the main problem right now is the fact that the eye's optical nerve can't regenerate. If it does works like optical fiber, maybe something could be made to mend the optical nerve using optical fiber. Stem cell technology seems ever elusive, but still if not that, than this. Thanks for the kickstarter and darpa link, it seems really interesting.
  - dm2 13y ago
    "the fact that the eye's optical nerve can't regenerate" It might not regenerate on it's own, but that doesn't mean it can't regenerate. http://www.childrenshospital.org/news-and-events/2012/may-2012/first-light-scientists-regenerate-the-optic-nerve-restore-some-components-of-vision http://www.childrenshospital.org/news-and-events/2012/may-20... "A team at Boston Children’s Hospital reports a three-pronged intervention that not only got optic nerve fibers to grow the full length of the visual pathway (from retina to the visual areas of the brain), but also restored some basic elements of vision in live mice." http://webvision.med.utah.edu/2012/07/full-length-axon-regeneration-in-the-adult-mouse-optic-nerve-and-partial-recovery-of-simple-visual-behaviors/ http://webvision.med.utah.edu/2012/07/full-length-axon-regen...

dm2 13y ago

I'm not sure that the device itself is the costly part though (other than the research to develop it). The main cost right now seems to be the surgery, brain surgery ain't cheap, especially when it's experimental procedures. An easier surgery is really what is needed. If surgeons could just lift up the eye and clamp the device onto the optical nerve then the cost would decrease dramatically. There are some research teams working on the lower cost method. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2195683/Bionic-eye-breakthrough-Australian-woman-receives-radical-world-implant.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2195683/Bioni... Most of the transplants are lower resolution to reduce device size (smaller computer components and battery). If you can perfect the lower resolution device then increasing the resolution and adding colors would be relatively easy. I'm amazed that scientists can "talk" to the brain and how successful some of these procedures have been, truly fascinating times we live in. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurostimulation#Visual_Prosthesis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurostimulation#Visual_Prosthe... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain%E2%80%93computer_interface http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain%E2%80%93computer_interfac... I was about to say that you'll never see a BCI kickstarter, but sure enough there is one: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/openbci/openbci-an-open-source-brain-computer-interface-fo https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/openbci/openbci-an-open... It can't talk back to the brain unfortunately, but it's a step in the right direction. http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/BTO/ http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/BTO/ was launched 5 days ago (NOT an April fools joke), usually DARPA does a pretty good job of rapidly advancing technology. http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2014/04/01.aspx http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2014/04/01.aspx http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/BTO/Programs/Reliable_Neural-Interface_Technology_RE_NET.aspx http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/BTO/Programs/Reliable_Neural-I... I guess the true holy-grail for this would be to pack in some "putty" into the eye-socket and let the eye re-grow based on your DNA, I doubt that will be available soon but a biological solution to blindness should definitely be explored as well.

rikacomet 13y ago
I know the main problem right now is the fact that the eye's optical nerve can't regenerate. If it does works like optical fiber, maybe something could be made to mend the optical nerve using optical fiber. Stem cell technology seems ever elusive, but still if not that, than this. Thanks for the kickstarter and darpa link, it seems really interesting.
- dm2 13y ago
  "the fact that the eye's optical nerve can't regenerate" It might not regenerate on it's own, but that doesn't mean it can't regenerate. http://www.childrenshospital.org/news-and-events/2012/may-2012/first-light-scientists-regenerate-the-optic-nerve-restore-some-components-of-vision http://www.childrenshospital.org/news-and-events/2012/may-20... "A team at Boston Children’s Hospital reports a three-pronged intervention that not only got optic nerve fibers to grow the full length of the visual pathway (from retina to the visual areas of the brain), but also restored some basic elements of vision in live mice." http://webvision.med.utah.edu/2012/07/full-length-axon-regeneration-in-the-adult-mouse-optic-nerve-and-partial-recovery-of-simple-visual-behaviors/ http://webvision.med.utah.edu/2012/07/full-length-axon-regen...