Electrode Arrays Implanted In The Eye Allows Blind Patients To ‘See’ in Braille

By: Talha Bhatti  |   November 27th, 2012   |   Gadgets, Health, News

Researchers have used electrode arrays implanted directly into the eyes to transfer Braille patterns on to blind test subjects’ retinas. The device and concept is the latest version of a product known as the Argus II Retina Prosthesis which has been developed by Second Sight. The set up is usually paired with glasses that have an attached video camera. The visual feed from the camera is changed into electric pulses that are sent to 60 electrodes in a grid that is physically placed in the patient’s eye. The electrodes then send this information to the brain of the visually impaired individual so they can decipher the environment around them.

 

The electrode arrays are in clinical trials at the moment. 30 test subjects have been using the device and have seen a marked improvement in the way they see the world. In the latest trials,  The video wielding glasses have been removed from the latest setup with signals sent directly into the eye Instead. A computer causes Braille code to appear in a six by two grid of arrays which light up.

 

At first the researchers would only light up single letters, but soon moved on to more complex words. The test subjects saw a decreased rate of success as the words being sent to the array got longer. According to the data presented about the study “the subject had a success rate of 89 per cent for the single letters, 80 per cent for two-letter words, 60 per cent for three-letter words and 70 per cent for four-letter words.”

 

The clinical trial subjects were adept at identifying Braille by touch but did know other visual contexts.  Researchers believe that subjects that are blind since birth or have lost their sight from a very young age will respond a lot better to the device and technique. This technology presents exciting possibilities for those with visual impairments and those that care about them.

 

Source: CNET