These Brain Implants Give Sight to the Blind

Years of research and advanced technological developments have produced a product that gives sight, at least temporarily, to the blind.

Until recently, giving sight to the blind was a phenomenon thought to be impossible. Whether the blindness was caused by genetics, an issue from birth, or caused by an illness or disease, it was very difficult or not possible at all for scientists or researchers to use glasses, contact lenses, and other visual aids to give sight to those who were blind.

Professionals in the research, science, and medical fields who have been working on this project have agreed that a brain implant, which avoids the eye and connects straight to the part of the brain that controls vision, is a promising accomplishment. Although the restored sight is limited, and sometimes more blurry or less brightly colored than normal vision, it is an amazing development that has real potential to help many people. But first, it needs to be better understood how the power of and the different sections of the brain factor into all of it.

Brain Implant Technology

In Spain, the Netherlands, and Australia, researchers and neurology specialists have all been experimenting with different ways of utilizing brain implant technology. While that sounds scary and almost dystopian, this implant technology has produced many great results, and is only a temporary solution for now; as of now, the products are not put into the person’s head permanently. What does happen is that the implant goes into the visual cortex section of the brain, instead of focusing on the retina, optic nerve, and everything else that has traditionally been studied when it comes to visual issues.

Microelectronics and microchips for the brain are still being worked on, but have become more stable, reliable, safe, and sterile over the years. The people behind the technology have chosen to completely skip over all things vision-related, and take a new approach that centers on neurology and the signals the brain sends. If the cortex of the brain is correctly stimulated, even those who are completely blind, and have been their whole lives, can begin to have sight.

Small Steps Forward

These new implants have not been able to immediately restore full vision to blind people, but they have caused small steps forward and good progress. In both human and animal trials, electrical stimulation was used to allow the humans and animals to recognize shapes, colors, movements, and participate in line and dot identification. According to one Australian technological developer, over one hundred dots of light are used to create visual patterns, which gives the person enough information to see the world around them, as well as the people and objects.

Someone who is blind and is using this kind of visual aid is not going to have the quality of sight that someone who isn’t blind has, but researchers hope to achieve that one day.  However, for now, this kind of technology provides an excellent visual alternative for people who cannot use an artificial eye or retina because of nerve damage.

The Future “Looks” Bright

There are a lot of advancements and changes that need to be made for brain implant technology to really become commonplace. To elaborate, right now the device that is used is bulky and complicated. It is worn on the head, and within it, there is a camera, hardware, and software that aid in visual processing, a wireless transmitter, and the actual implant itself. Additionally, a risky surgery is required to put the implant into the brain, a procedure that they must be reversed just a few months later because of short-term medical restrictions. A more convenient device needs to be developed, and a less invasive procedure for use should be worked on, too.

Nonetheless, very promising results are coming out of studies involving this kind of technology. Many people in several countries have been conducting trials, slowly and carefully, and have been receiving positive, hopeful statistics and outcomes. If a longer-term, stabler and more convenient use of brain implant technology can be discovered and approved, giving sight to the blind may be much less impossible than we thought.