Chinese researchers have developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) technology that can restore visual perception for people with certain forms of irreversible blindness.
The system has enabled a visually impaired man to recognise and write numbers, Chinese and English characters, grasp objects and navigate around obstacles.
The procedure was performed in Hubei province.
Doctors implanted a chip smaller than half a small fingernail into the sclera, the outer wall of the eyeball.
The device does not penetrate the eye and operates without connecting wires or external magnetic attachments.
Cameras in specially designed glasses capture images and convert them into electrical signals, which are transmitted wirelessly to the implant.
The chip then stimulates nearby ocular nerves, sending signals to the brain’s visual cortex.
According to experts, the technology could potentially be used for seven types of blindness associated with nerve damage, including retinitis pigmentosa, advanced age-related macular degeneration, advanced glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
The researchers are working to improve the technology, particularly its ability to reproduce colour, depth perception and more detailed images.
The long-term goal is to help patients perform everyday activities more independently, including travelling, avoiding obstacles and recognising banknotes.
Researchers expect advances in artificial intelligence and more precise mapping of connections between the eye and brain to further develop artificial vision.
