Brain Implant to Aid Sight Closer to Reality.

• Position: BLINDNESS

Implanting a device into the brain to generate a rough perception of sight for people with blindness may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but researchers from the University of Texas, Dallas, and the Illinois Institute of Technology aim to make that vision a reality.

The project involves implanting devices containing small electrodes into the occipital cortex, a part of the brain that processes visual information. The device will receive signals based on images from a camera that the user wears on a headband.

The signals command the implanted devices to stimulate neurons electrically to produce an apparent visual perception of tiny white spots called phosphenes. Researchers hope these white spots can form images that can help people with blindness better recognize objects and navigate their surroundings.

During the clinical trial, Stuart Cogan, professor of bioengineering, and his team will monitor the safety of the electrical stimulation. The researchers will collect, analyze, and track data from the electrodes. Each device has up to 16 of the tiny conductors, each one...