Bionic Eye Telescope To Treat Macular Degeneration 55
Al writes "A miniature telescope that fits inside the eye of someone with macular degeneration and helps them regain normal vision has been developed by a start-up company called VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies. Macular degeneration affects the center of the retina, making it difficult to read, watch television and recognize faces. The new device, which is about the size of a pencil eraser, works like a fixed telephoto lens within the eye, projecting a magnified image of whatever the wearer is looking at onto a large part of the peripheral retina. Magnifying the image on the eye allows the retinal cells outside the macula to participate, and enables a patient to recognize details using their peripheral vision. Clinical trials suggest that the device could improve vision by about three and a half lines on an eye chart. Last week, an advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration unanimously recommended that the agency approve the implant."
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TAG (Score:2)
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I don't think so.
Steve Austin could read the copyright notice in fine print from 200 yards away.
With this you'll be able to read street signs but not books or computer screen.
For Nerds this is a "Fail".
For Joe-six-pack it's being able to pick up the right beer can from the table.
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For Nerds this is a "Fail".
It may not be incredibly good now, but how many technological fields have simply stopped improving? Meaning the equipment 15 years ago is practically identical to the equipment now?
Babbage Difference Engine >> ENIAC >> Mainframe >> Macintosh PC >> Quad-Core gaming rig
VHS >> DVD >> Bluray
Tape >> Floppy >> HDD >> SSD
etc.
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Or, you could buy binoculars.
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The central fovea of the human retina has the highest density of cones sensitive to color, while peripheral vision is populated by rods which are sensitive to light intensity only.
For somebody with normal vision, redirecting light from the fovea to peripheral vision isn't going to have any benefit, but for someone with no central vision who cannot perceive texture (ie.text) or color, regaining the ability to read text is going to be of great benefit.
Good? (Score:1)
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One step closer to the bionic man (Score:2)
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yeast to get energy from your blood? you mean the implants will be powered by BEER?!???
sweet. that gives a whole new meaning to the term "beer-goggles".
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Hopefully THAT yeast is not infectious...
But, imagine if the lenses empower the Geriatrics to become new Spy Kids on the blocks... Would Jerry want them? Would Uncle Sam or Uncle Same want them? Would the discrimination against seniors driving lose focus or become unclear a case?
Go boys! (Score:2)
Having had close family members suffer from loss of vision, this is great news.
Whilst all illness is distressing, loss of or diminished vision is very tough to bear or watch.
I'm glad that 'science', which is so decried these days, is also being seen (sorry) to deliver.
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In Soviet Slashdot, bad jokes write themselves!
The downside... (Score:2)
A cellphone camera for your eye (Score:2)
Forget 20-20 vision, now you can have 160 x 120.
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I'd hold off: I'm sure we'll have an HD version out in a year or two.
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What (approximately) is the resolution of the eye?
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Approximately .6 to .7 arcminute per linepair in lighting of at least .1 Lambert.
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Even with monochrome, that would be enough to read text, recognize faces, walk down a pavement, take public transport, read timetables and do shopping without any of these requiring assistance.
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Isn't macular degeneration just a normal part of the aging process?
The wiki page seems to indicate that there's a genetic component, so I don't think it is "normal" meaning everyone will get it.
And just to be clear, you're not implying that if everyone is going to be getting it eventually, that's somehow a reason not to try to cure it, are you? I don't care how "normal" it is, I wouldn't want to go blind, just as I don't want to get "normal" osteoporosis, hair loss, and loss of mental accuity etc.
Re:Doesn't everyone have macular degeneration? (Score:5, Informative)
"Isn't macular degeneration just a normal part of the aging process?"
It is more common amongst the elderly; I don't know that this makes it "normal". What's the difference? If nature says you should stop seeing at 50, you should stop seeing?
This could also be applicable to any number of macular dystrophies that affect people at younger ages; the point is it reduces the importance of the macula and lets the user get the most out of the peripheral vision, which usually isn't impacted (at least not to the same degree).
"we take the lenses from the telescope, and make them really large and flat, and put them in front of the face, maybe with a wire or plastic holder"
Glasses don't help with macular degeneration. The lenses in glasses can't do what this can do. If you're gong to be condescending, you might want to get your facts straight first.
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we take the lenses from the telescope, and make them really large and flat, and put them in front of the face, maybe with a wire or plastic holder
Nice try, but part of the point of this is to re-aim the light to hit a non-damaged part of the retina after it goes through the lens of the eye.
Re:Doesn't everyone have macular degeneration? (Score:5, Informative)
The device described in the article is not in fact a new breakthrough concept; there are a number of similar devices out there already. Some just go for magnification; some try to divert light away from damaged central retina (macula) to normal peripheral retina. The trouble is that peripheral retina just isn't as sensitive even if it's healthy.
The actual surgery is not actually very difficult for a competent eye surgeon; it's just a variation, really, on the standard modern cataract operation involving an intraocular lens implant.
The clever part (as with a lot of surgery) is trying to decide who would benefit from the operation beforehand. If there's too much damage to the retina this won't help; if there isn't all that much, then the risks of the surgery may outweigh the benefit.
The major reason why this sort of technique has not already become standard practice is because there aren't yet reliable ways of assessing beforehand which patients will benefit.
BTW the cost is steep but a lot less than a course of Lucentis treatment (the best current option for actual treatment, as opposed to rehabilitation). If it helps the patient retain their independence it would probably pay for itself.
There are a lot of unanswered questions about this sort of technology still, and the way reporters just regurgitate the manufacturers publicity handouts and proclaim a new "cure for blindness" causes a lot of grief to vulnerable people by cruelly raising false hopes.
(I'm an ophthalmic surgeon specialising in retinal diseases)
Re:Doesn't everyone have macular degeneration? (Score:5, Informative)
It's a specific disease, or rather family of diseases.
It's very common (by their eighties about 1 in 3 people has it) but it's *not* normal ageing.
Unfortunately many people, especially older people, do indeed think that losing vision as they grow older is just natural, and don't seek help; even a few years ago they weren't in fact missing out on much as treatment was pretty useless, but there's now a much more effective treatment (Lucentis) for the 10% of people with the most aggressive and damaging variant of the disease (so-called "wet" macular degeneration) and it's heartbreaking when people miss out on it because they don't realise that there's *always* a specific reason if your vision goes bad on you.
(I'm an eye surgeon specialising in this very area, and I spend almost half my work time on this disease every week)
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Normal people don't go round always comparing the vision in their two eyes, and unless it happens very quickly, many people don't notice loss of central vision (only) in one eye.
They often come my way (I'm an eye surgeon) because they've just been on a routine visit to their optometrist, or just accidentally happened one day to cover the good eye and noticed a problem with the other one.
I see about twice as many people with the second eye affected by the first time they see a docto
From the blurp: (Score:2)
Magnifying the image on the eye allows the retinal cells outside the macula enables a patient to recognize details using their peripheral vision.
What?
this is great news! (Score:2, Insightful)
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It doesn't halt the degeneration, it allows individuals implanted with the device to make better use of areas of the retina that have not been affected.
If you have macular degeneration, it might help you; if you have some other problem, it isn't particularly likely to help you.
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I wonder what kind of field of view one would get by using these.
Whatever it is, it is much bigger than 0. I hope they find a way to make these cheaper, because they trully sounds great.
Not in the right location (Score:2)
When I get my bionic eye implants, I don't want them in the usual old boring and inflexible location, I want them on stalks jutting out of my head. Maybe a spare one in back, too....
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Maybe a third eye on my third leg? Can you imagine the vagina-cam possibilities?
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Before this upgrade (Score:1)
1. USB port
2. Carbon fiber legs
3. Touch screen interface
It will be of no damn use . . . (Score:2)
. . . if you can't shoot lasers out of it.
But seriously, I emailed the article to my parents; my father's vision is going because of MD.
Grandma T got a bionic eye the other day... (Score:2)
Wow, until this moment, I've never given any serious thought to getting my dear old grandma some bionic eyes! At 93, she's still there mentally, but the Macular Degeneration has made her all but completely blind.
What a trip, getting my grandma a bionic eye is now actually on the menu. Cool, the six million dollar grandma!
How much are they thinking the device and the surgery is going to cost?
That would make for quite strange family gossip: Did you hear that Grandma T got a bionic eye implanted the other day?
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Macular Degeneration... (Score:1)