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Third Brain Implant Grants Artificial Vision to Blind Patients
5 Nov
Summary
- A wireless brain implant offers artificial vision to those with total blindness.
- This device bypasses the eye, sending signals directly to the brain's visual cortex.
- Surgeons precisely targeted brain locations in the third successful surgery.
Surgeons have successfully implanted a device offering artificial vision to blind patients for the third time. The intracortical visual prothesis (ICVP) is a wireless system developed over nearly thirty years at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
This innovative technology bypasses the eye and optic nerve, transmitting signals directly to the brain's visual cortex. While it doesn't restore natural sight, it provides crucial visual perception for visually guided tasks.
The third surgery, conducted during the FDA-approved preclinical trial phase, involved precise targeting of brain areas for implantation. Previous surgeries occurred in 2022 and 2024, with recovery reported as rapid and uneventful for all participants.
This milestone represents a significant advancement in offering a meaningful visual option for individuals with profound vision loss, moving towards integrating the device into daily life.
