Scientists have developed a bionic eye implant that can restore vision to individuals with degenerative blindness. The implant, developed over 20 years by researchers from the Boston Retinal Implant Project, is roughly the size of a pencil eraser. It is designed to transmit visual signals to the brain through a hair-thin connector. The project, co-directed by Dr. Joseph Rizzo III of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and MIT Professor John Wyatt, aims to assist individuals with conditions such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.
The device, which sits mostly outside the eye, has undergone extensive durability testing and is moving toward human trials, with FDA approval in sight. Although the implant will not fully restore vision, it is expected to provide patients with the ability to detect shapes, obstacles, and movement, greatly improving their independence and quality of life.
