In the first human test of the new "visual cortical stimulator" – a tiny collection of electrodes – a team at UCLA drilled a hole into the skull of their patient and laid the stimulator directly on the surface of her brain. They also implanted a small antenna to receive signals sent by a computer in the gap created in her skull, a Daily Mail report explains.
By sending signals to the stimulator, they were able to create flashes and lines of light and color that their patient, a 30-year-old woman who had been completely blind for seven years, could "see."
During the course of the six-week initial proof of concept trial, which began in August, the patient reported the exact signals doctors sent to the chip, the Daily Mail reports.
The next step is to send footage from a tiny video camera to the sensor in the brain, with the goal of eventually connecting the camera to a pair of glasses patients can put on when they want to see. The next phase in the trial is expected to begin next year.
"The moment she saw color for the first time was a very emotional experience," said Nader Pouratian, who performed the operation, according to the Daily Mail.
"It touched us all very deeply as human beings. Based on these results, this system has the potential to restore sight to the blind."
The Second Sight group, the developers of the device, say the successful trial means it may be possible to restore some sight to patients who are completely blinded, even those who have lost their eyes.
"By bypassing the optic nerve and directly stimulating the visual cortex, the Orion I has the potential to restore useful vision to patients completely blinded due to virtually any reason, including glaucoma, cancer, diabetic retinopathy, or trauma,” said Second Sight Chairman Robert Greenberg in a press release issued by the company. “Today these individuals have no available therapy and the Orion I offers hope, increasing independence and improving their quality of life."
The company has also developed other devices for patients suffering from blindness, but they all require some retinal function. The Orion I, on the other hand, could potentially help patients with no optical nerve function.
