Pixium Vision's bionic eye gives blind people the opportunity to read

The bionic eye is a promising means of dealing with age-related vision loss due to the death of photoreceptors. The first tests of an unusual device successfully launched in France.

Paris-based company Pixium Vision has tested the bionic eye. According to New Scientist, the device was tested by five volunteers from France suffering from age-related macular dystrophy. This disease leads to a loss of the central visual field as a result of the death of the photoreceptors in the back of the eye.

Pixium Vision bionic eye consists of a microchip that is installed behind the retina and is activated by light, as well as smart glasses equipped with a camera.

The camera translates images into infrared signals that are transmitted to the implant, and from it to the optic nerve. This allows the blind person to see again.

All five participants in the tests practically lost their sight due to the “dry” form of macular dystrophy, one of the most common causes of blindness. After installing the bionic eye, they all had the opportunity to see, and even three were able to distinguish the letters on the page.

According to the developers, this is the only existing technology that can partially restore vision during a “dry” macular dystrophy. The implant can also be used to treat other types of blindness, including genetically determined.

Pixium Vision plans that installing bionic eyes will become a familiar procedure in the next five years.

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