"For 20 years Eric Selby lived in darkness after a genetic eye disease robbed him of his sight. But now he can see flashes of light thanks a revolutionary 'bionic eye.' The Coventry grandfather is one of the first people in the world to have an artificial retina fitted." That was the story a week ago in the CoventryTelegraph.
All heck broke out yesterday, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving to approve it, according to a post on CBSNews, which also posted a video of an individual using the artificial retina that relies on a camera posted to eyeglasses.
Here's a description found on the TorontoSun:
Called the Argus II, and made by Los Angeles-based Second Sight Medical, the device has been in the testing phase for years.
After a successful clinical trial on 30 blind patients, the European Union on Wednesday approved the device's use in the European Economic Area.
Patients who use the device are first fitted with an implant on the outside of their eyeball. The implant is attached via a cable to the retina -- light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. A tiny camera mounted on a pair of glasses then transmits information to the implant.
While it doesn't allow blind people to see fully, it does allow them to recognize general shapes, light and movement.
In an interview with Reuters last year, Barbara Campbell of New York City said that after 16 years of total blindness, she can see shapes, the light on her stove top and letters on a computer screen just four months after being implanted with the then-experimental device.
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