Let There be Sight: Electronic Implant Allows the Blind to See
- Posted on November 3, 2010 at 10:52am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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About 15 million people worldwide suffer from retinal dystrophy — a disease that causes degeneration of the eye’s photoreceptors and eventually leads to blindness. But a new scientific advance reported by New Science may eventually reverse the disease’s effects, and is already producing promising results:
Eberthart Zrenner and colleagues at the University of Tübingen in Germany have developed a microchip carrying 1500 photosensitive diodes that slides into the retina where the photoreceptors would normally be. The diodes respond to light, and when connected to an outside power source through a wire into the eye, can stimulate the nearby nerves that normally pass signals to the brain, mimicking healthy photoreceptors.
The team reports that their first three volunteers could all locate bright objects. One could recognize normal objects and read large words.
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Conservatarian WY
Posted on November 4, 2010 at 1:55pmThis is wonderful.
Report Post »fathers_thought
Posted on November 4, 2010 at 7:23amNext application, of course, communications and personal movie viewer.
Report Post »khandahar&jalalabad
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 8:56pmThank GOD it doesn’t look like an air filter for a car.
Report Post »lobster
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 8:50pmLike WOW!!!!!!!!
Report Post »bookofwisdom
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 2:52pmThank God for researchers and developers who have the intelligence to come up with these magnificent scientific breakthroughs. God in His wisdom can give us so much more if we let Him. May God Bless.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 2:04pmAs one who is loosing my vision I’m a little excited… must find out more about this. :)
Report Post »Eyeball
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 2:00pmIt needs to have an external jack so you can plug in and watch Bill Maher reruns.
Report Post »FreedomIQ
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 12:07pmDoes it have a GPS in it?
Report Post »wacmko1
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:16amIts too bad that we cant implant this device into some of the dim witted dems
Report Post »HouseNegro
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:15amI wonder if this thing could be used to help democrates see the light and pull their heads out of their collective asses?
Report Post »BSdetector
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 12:12pmAs they said in the posts above, some things only God can do.
Report Post »Breaker 19
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 12:24pmNo, they would still have to pluck out the very thing that would continue to offend.
Report Post »Ellie
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:14amThis is a great addition to the work of http://www.2-sight.com/ that has been developing something similar but for people with different vision problems.
Click on my name for some cool anti-progressivism designs.
Report Post »mikenleeds
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:13amthank god for the free market making miracles happen everyday
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:10amWhile I believe that this can eventually be a viable tool for the sightless, my suspicion is that “sight” as it is used here has a rather lose definition.
Report Post »REBELWITHACAUSE
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:04amSO COOL… technology can be bad… .but it can also be really cool too.
Report Post »I have to wonder though… is this playing God? Would God want us to use technology to do these kinds of things? I‘m betting he’d prefer we count on HIM… for healing, vs. man for technology… just sayin’…
DimmuBorgir
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:10amGod gave us the brains and free will to do this.
Report Post »knightEknight
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:14amI think God is pleased that these people have used the talents he gave them to improve the lives of others. :)
Report Post »deanho
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:39amImitation is the biggest form of flattery. Even then, we can’t come close.
Report Post »Understanding the brain and electrical stimulation of nerves is very far from being GOD.
Find a need and fill it. Don’t wait for government to decide that someone needs to fill it, conduct a study, fund the research, and somehow screw it up with so many resources.
REBELWITHACAUSE
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 12:27pm@ DIMMUBORGIR – he gave brains and free will to every human being on the planet. It’s the human brain that developed bombs, and the ability to annihilate everyone from the planet, and it was free will that gives man the authority to use those devices(or so they think). God gave “animals” brains too… should they be allowed to act however they want to? No! He gave MAN a “MIND”(what seperates us from the animal kingdom)… to use to reason, and make life decisions. He gave us free will in hopes we might develop Godly character and qualify to be sons of God. No one wants to depend on God, their very creator, for anything anymore… sad sad!
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 12:36pmI am all for this type of developement that uses technology instead of genetics and murder to enhance a person’s life. I wouldn’t be against stem cell research if we only used adult fat stem cells or cord blood, you know, not a group of cells with the potential to be an independent human being with a unique genome the likes of which have never been seen before and never will again.
Report Post »REBELWITHACAUSE
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 12:58pm@ SGTB – Well I DEFINITELY agree with you on that. :)
Report Post »Timmtamm
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 2:31pmKnowlege is based in truth, and all truth comes from God. Any knowlege we develop, we developed it with the help of God. Advancements like this are definitly a thing of God. He gave us everything we have, including insight! Even this furthers God’s work and plan.
Report Post »PROAMERICAN
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:04amI love the free market!!!
Report Post »cubber
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:26amAnd many will love “seeing” it.
Report Post »Major Infidel
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 11:33amAmen!
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 12:19pmNow this is a true miracle of technology. Thank God that there are people who are still willing to dream the ‘impossible’ and then make it ‘possible’ and ‘happen’. Amen.
Report Post »Breaker 19
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 12:23pmI honor the Doctors and give all praise to God!
Report Post »ZaphodsPlanet
Posted on November 3, 2010 at 3:09pmAmen to that….. this is the kind of thing you’d usually see from a US university, but it’s great to see none the less. Once we can clean house in the political arena maybe we can next work on the Universities….. so they can start innovating again instead of just teaching kids how to be politically correct and hate America…..
Report Post »ron the veteran
Posted on November 4, 2010 at 9:49amthis is what the commies want to kill. its time to make it perfectly clear communists are not welcome here.
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