Page 20 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition November-December 2021
P. 20
BRAIN IMPLANT stimulated the surrounding neurons to produce white points
ENABLES BLIND of light known as 'phosphenes' to create an image.
With the help of the implant, the lady was able to identify
WOMAN TO SEE lines, shapes and simple letters evoked by different patterns
of stimulation. To assist her in practicing with the prosthesis,
A team of scientists from the researchers created a video game with a character from the
University Miguel Hernández popular television show The Simpsons. Due to her extensive
(Spain), the Netherlands involvement and insight, she is also co-author of the article.
Institute of Neuroscience “These results are very exciting because they demonstrate
(Netherlands) and the John both safety and efficacy and could help to achieve a long-held
A. Moran Eye Center at the dream of many scientists, which is the transfer information
University of Utah (USA) have from the outside world directly to the visual cortex of blind
successfully created a form individuals, thereby restoring a rudimentary form of sight,”
of artificial vision for a blind said Prof Eduardo Fernández.”
woman using a brain implant.
In an article, “Visual percepts
evoked with an Intracortical IMPORTANT MILESTONE FOR
96-channel Microelectrode Array ESSILOR STELLEST LENS
inserted in human occipital
cortex,” published in The
Essilor has been granted a breakthrough device designation
Journal of Clinical Investigation, from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Essilor
Eduardo Fernández, MD, PhD,
from the University Miguel Stellest lens that has been developed to correct and slow down
the progression of myopia in children.
Hernández details how an
array of penetrating electrodes The FDA Breakthrough Devices Program works to accelerate
produced a simple form of the development, assessment and review of medical devices that
vision for a 58-year-old blind offer more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or
volunteer. irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions. The grant of this
The team conducted a series designation will lead to further research and FDA review.
of experiments with the blind Norbert Gorny, chief operating officer and chief research
volunteer in their laboratory and development officer of Essilor International, named the
in Elche, Spain. According to designation an “important milestone” for the company’s work
the report, a neurosurgeon against myopia, implying that it exemplified the likelihood
implanted a microelectrode of the Essilor Stellest lens in slowing down the progression of
array composed of 100 myopia in children.
microneedles into the visual
cortex of the blind woman, a “We look forward to working closely with the FDA for further
former science teacher who clinical study and review, so we can provide the benefit of Essilor
had been completely blind Stellest to US children who continue to be at risk of vision-
for 16 years at the time of the threatening complications due to high myopia,” he said.
study. The implant allowed the Essilor launched the lens in the Wenzhou Medical
neurosurgeon to both record University Eye Hospital in China in July 2020, with roll-out
from and stimulate neurons continuing to other countries including a launch planned in
located close to the electrodes. France from 1 June onwards.
The lady wore eyeglasses
equipped with a miniature Earlier this year, the company published two-year results of
video camera; specialised an ongoing three-year clinical trial in children with myopia in
software encoded the visual China. The recent trial results indicated that after two years of
data collected by the camera wearing the lenses for 12 hours or more each day, the
and sent it to electrodes located progression of myopia slowed by 67% on average, compared
in the brain. The array then with children wearing single vision lenses.
| NOV-DEC 2021 | 16 INTERNATIONAL NEWS
