Eye Implants will Soon be Available to an Opthalmologist Near You

Technology continues to give hope to people with disabilities, so much so that eye doctors may soon treat blindness quite effortlessly. While science is still a long way from completely restoring sight to the blind, the ability to provide them with limited vision is already quite an achievement in itself. Case in point: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the “Argus” retinal implant system for widespread use in the US.

This device consists of a pair of sunglasses, a video camera, and antennas installed near the eyeballs. Exactly how the system works is a bit complex to describe, but suffice it to say that patients wearing it can make out shapes and faces and thereby be able to navigate the world without relying on a human assistant. This system is still in its infancy, and several improvements would have to be made to improve range, image quality, and color perception.

In any case, it should only be a matter time before eye implants gain widespread use. Argus was already tested in Europe before it caught the attention of the FDA, and so-called “Kamra” implants now help treat presbyopia (gradual loss of vision due to old age). With the rate at which technology evolves, the notion that blindness may one day be curable is indeed becoming more of a scientific possibility.