The bionic eye was
dramatically improved in 2014, allowing the legally blind to do finally see, as
they had long dreamed. Larry Hester was one of those to have his life
dramatically changed by the bionic eye in 2014 when, after nearly 33 years of
blindness, his sight was restored thanks to the bionic eye.
The bionic eye, known as the
Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, was approved by the FDA in 2013, but this
year engineers further improved its visual system. It is the world’s first
implanted device to treat people with retinitis pigmentosa, one of the leading
causes of blindness. The bionic eye consists of a device implanted into the
eye, a video camera in a pair of glasses, and a video processing unit carried
by the patient. For now, Hester is only able to see light again, but for the
66-year-old tire salesman, it’s more than expected.
“The light is so basic and
probably wouldn’t have significance to anybody else. But to me it’s meaning I
can see light. And we can go from here,” he said.
