Bionic eye project has sights on human trials
A tiny microchip implant is placed on top of the eye and is connected to a set of electrodes that interface with surviving nerve tissue.
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University of Sydney researchers are a step closer to developing a bionic eye with plans to move to human trials.
Professor of , Gregg Suaning said the 鈥楶hoenix 99 Bionic Eye鈥� system involves a microchip being implanted on the top of the eye with a tiny camera mounted on a pair of glasses delivering images wirelessly to the microchip for processing.
鈥淭he system has been designed to stimulate cells in the retina and help the brain interpret them to deliver a sense of vision in the user,鈥� Professor Suaning said.
鈥淯sers of the bionic eye would see pixelated images that deliver outlines and edges allowing them to navigate their surroundings and to help them carry out activities of daily living.
鈥淲e hope it will allow people with vision loss to identifying if a person, doorway or window is nearby.
鈥淒egenerative disorders impacting the retina affect many millions of people around the world but we aim to offer new hope with the introduction of the Phoenix 99 bionic eye system.鈥�
Professor Suaning said the University of Sydney team was now preparing an application for ethics approval in the hope of conducting a 鈥榝irst-in-human鈥� trial of the Phoenix 99 Bionic Eye next year.
鈥淚f successful, we can work to bring the device to a point where regulatory approvals in the global market can be obtained,鈥� he said.
Minister for Trade and Industry Niall Blair visited the Sydney labs to meet researchers and get an update on the project that aims to bring new hope to the many people suffering vision loss.
He said it was a great example of NSW鈥檚 medtech industry, with the NSW Government recently releasing a听strategy听to help grow the sector.
鈥淭he idea of bionics first leapt into the public imagination with the 1970s science fiction action television series the Six Million Dollar Man,鈥� Mr Blair said.
鈥淏ut Professor听听and his team at the University of Sydney are helping bring it to reality after developing microchip technology to give a sense of vision for those who have lost theirs.
鈥淭his is fantastic NSW innovation with potential to change the lives of millions of people who are losing sight from conditions like retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration.鈥�
How the bionic eye system works
- A tiny microchip implant is placed on top of the eye and is connected to a set of electrodes that interface with surviving nerve tissue.
- A very small camera attached to glasses captures the visual scene in front of the wearer. This is then processed by the computer inside a mobile telephone and a set of instructions are sent wirelessly to a telemetry device implanted behind the ear.
- The implant decodes the wireless signal and sends electrical impulses to initiate events the brain interprets as vision.
- All of this happens in real time to provide a sense of vision that aims to improve mobility, give greater ease of social interaction, and more independence to blind people worldwide.
