With the rapid pace of technological advancements, solutions to nearly every problem are within reach. One of the most significant breakthroughs is in the treatment of blindness, with researchers from Monash University, Australia, developing the world’s first bionic eye. This innovation, called the ‘Gennaris Bionic Vision System,’ offers hope to millions of people suffering from blindness. It is a cutting-edge technology designed to restore vision for those who have lost it, and it is set to revolutionize the treatment of untreatable blindness.
The Gennaris system is the culmination of nearly a decade of research and development. It works by bypassing damaged optic nerves that typically transmit visual information from the eyes to the brain. Instead, it sends signals directly to the brain’s vision center, allowing users to perceive images. After promising results in animal studies, the bionic eye is now preparing for its first human clinical trials in Melbourne. In trials on sheep, the technology was successfully implanted into the brain with minimal negative effects. The upcoming human trials will be critical in determining its potential to restore vision and bring it closer to widespread adoption.
The core of this technology, developed by MVG, involves a wireless implant that delivers patterned electrical stimulation to the brain. Up to 11 of these thumbnail-sized implants can be placed on the brain’s surface and programmed wirelessly to stimulate brain cells with tiny electrical pulses. When positioned on the visual cortex, these pulses are interpreted as visual information, allowing recipients to perceive basic shapes and outlines for tasks such as navigation and object recognition.
The Gennaris system includes a miniature camera worn by the user on custom-designed headgear. High-resolution images captured by the camera are processed by a vision processor unit, which extracts the most essential features from the images. These signals are then transmitted wirelessly to up to 11 devices, or “tiles,” surgically implanted in the brain’s primary visual cortex. Each tile contains its own circuitry, wireless receiver, and 43 microelectrodes that stimulate neurons in the visual cortex.
What sets the Gennaris system apart is its ability to mimic the eye’s natural structure. Previous attempts at creating bionic eyes struggled to replicate the retina’s concave shape, which is essential for a wide field of vision. The Gennaris system overcomes this, offering a more natural vision experience. While the system currently provides a 100-degree field of view-slightly less than the human eye’s 130-degree range-it significantly surpasses earlier flat-sensor technologies, which only offered a 70-degree range. Moreover, the use of more responsive nanowires has greatly reduced the time needed to process images.
This groundbreaking study, which dates back to 2020, marks a transformative moment in the future of blindness treatment.
