Mood:  cool

A recent story published by CNN, ‘Bionic eye” Lets Blind Man ‘See” Again, is the inspiration for this blog post. Here at 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore, we are in the business of correcting vision problems via glasses and contact lenses; however, there are some instances where eyesight can’t be restored via traditional methods. CNN’s story introduces a new concept: an artificial retina that restores partial vision in blind people.

How It Works

A small prosthesis is implanted on the surface of the retina via surgery and the patient wears a pair of glasses that have a small video camera mounted on it. The camera sends data to the prosthesis and that data is converted to electrical pulses. Cells in the eye are stimulated which leads to the perception of light patterns in the patient’s brain.

The surgery takes approximately four hours and patients can expect to recover in a few weeks. After recovery, doctors activate the implanted chip and results are immediate according to Mr. Pontz who received the implant on January 22, 2014. Even though the surgery was considered a success, regaining partial vision isn’t an easy process. Patients have to undergo rehabilitation to learn how to interpret the light patterns. “It’s kind of like learning a new language,” according to Mr. Pontz.

Even though vision isn’t fully restored, the patient can see simple flashes of light which means they can regain some mobility.

So far, four people in the United States have participated in this surgery. 10 more are on the list and that number is expected to grow.

What Does this Mean?

The vast majority of Americans will still depend on corrective glasses and contact lenses for vision correction. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has indicated that the procedure is still in its early stages and there are potential complications. It’s not available to the “mass public” yet, but it is considered an outstanding breakthrough.