Could Bionic Eyes Help Me See Again?
CrowdScience
BBC
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 26 October 2018
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Mohammed is from India and he’s blind. He emailed CrowdScience because he wanted to know more about new technologies that could help him see again. Specifically, he was interested in artificial vision - what is it and what does it look like?
Bobbie Lakhera travels to Germany to find out. There, she meets a blind patient called Manuel. He’s about to have a major operation. A computer chip will be implanted into his eye and his surgeon, Florian Gekeler, believes that it will restore some of Manuel’s sight. But what happens if you have no eyes for a chip like this to be inserted into? Bobbie speaks to Dr Nader Pouratian about his brain prosthesis. Because the implant is attached directly to the visual cortex of the brain, it means you could have no eyes or no optic nerve and you could still see with this type of therapy. Whilst both these technologies are limited to black and white vision, Bobbie asks whether one day we may be able to develop systems that give those living with blindness 20/20 vision.
Presenter: Bobbie Lakhera Producer: Graihagh Jackson
(Photo: A female iris, bionic eye concept. Credit: Getty Images)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of |
| 0:07.0 | Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.4 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. This is the sound of Manuel's heart. He's been put under general anesthetic and is about to go into 11. This surgery hopes to restore his sight. |
| 1:05.0 | A tiny computer chip will be inserted into his eye. |
| 1:09.0 | And once switched on, he'll have artificial vision. |
| 1:15.0 | Well, I've got pretty high hopes to be honest, but in the back of my mind, |
| 1:20.0 | I'm aware that it might not work 100%. So I'm hopeful but also I know it might not work. |
| 1:27.0 | After more than a decade of being in the dark, we're following Manuel on his path to seeing the light. |
| 1:35.6 | This journey starts with Muhammad in India though. |
| 1:45.0 | Hello is that Mohammed? Yes, hi, I'm... |
| 1:47.0 | Hi, I'm Bobby Liqueera from the BBC World Service. |
| 1:50.0 | It's really good to talk to you. |
| 1:52.0 | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 1:53.0 | Now you emailed crowd science a question |
| 1:56.0 | and I would like to know what that is. |
| 1:58.0 | Yes, I'm a blind. |
| 2:00.0 | First of all, it should be clear. |
| 2:02.0 | And my question was about artificial vision. There is a technology developed somewhere in United State of America, which give blind people some sort of camera vision. |
... |
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