A bionic eye is an artificial device that replaces part or all of the eye's functionality. It works by stimulating the optic nerve with electrical impulses from a camera, allowing the brain to interpret images. Current models consist of a small implanted chip connected to an external camera. The Argus II system has an array of 60 electrodes on the implant that are stimulated by a processing unit to provide basic vision. While it does not fully restore sight, bionic eyes have helped many blind patients regain some ability to see and navigate independently. Researchers are working to improve the technology with higher resolution implants.

1. BY
S.BHAVANA
Y14BPH140046
KVSR COLLEGE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

2. BIONIC EYE
Bionic eye also called a Bio Electronic eye, an electronic
device that replaces functionality of a part or whole of the
eye.

3. •Bionic Eye is an artificial eye which provokes visual
sensations in the brain by directly stimulating different
parts of the optic nerve.
•It works by stimulating nerves, which are activated by
electrical impulses. The patient has a small device
implanted into the body that can receive radio signals
and transmit those signals to brain through nerves & can
interpret the image.
•It consist of electronic systems which consist of image
sensors, processors, receivers, radio transmitters and
retinal chips.
• it could restore vision to people who have lost sight
during their lifetime.

4. HUMAN EYE
The eyeball is present in a protective cone-shaped cavity in the skull
called the orbit. Its main function is to receive and transmit images to
the brain. In humans there are three main types of light sensitive cells in
the retina. They are
•Rod Cells
•Cone Cells
•Ganglion Cells
There are about 125 million rods and cones within the retina that act as
the eye’s photoreceptors.
These ganglion cells interpret the messages from the rods and cones
and send the information on to the brain by way of the optic nerve.
Scattered light from the object enters through the cornea.
1. The light is projected onto the retina.
2. The retina sends messages to the brain through the optic nerve.
3. The brain interprets what the object is.

5. Causes of Blindness
There are a number of retinal diseases that attack
these cells, which can lead to blindness. The most
notable of these diseases are:
1. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP)
2. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

6. Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is the name given to a group of hereditary
diseases of retina of the eye. It is an inherited, degenerative eye disease
that causes severe vision impairment due to the progressive
degeneration of the rod photoreceptor cells in the retina.

7. In macular degeneration, a layer beneath the retina, called the Retinal
Pigment Epithelium (RPE), gradually wears out from its lifelong duties
of disposing of retinal waste products. It is a disease that blurs the
sharp, central vision you need for activities such as reading, sewing,
and driving.

9. •It comprises a computer chip which is kept in the back of the
individual's eye, linked up using a mini video camera built into glasses
that they wear. Images captured by the camera are beamed to the
chip, which translates them into impulses that the brain can
interpret.
•The breakthrough is likely to benefit patients with the most common
cause of blindness, macular degeneration, which affects 5,00,000
people.
•This occurs when there is damage to the macula, which is in the
central part of the retina where light is focused and changed into
nerve signals in the middle of the brain. The implant bypasses the
diseased cells in the retina and stimulates the remaining viable cells.
•Early efforts used silicon-based photo detectors, but silicon is toxic
to the human body and reacts unfavourably with fluids in the eye.
Now, scientists at the Space Vacuum Epitaxy Centre (SVEC) based at
the University of Houston, Texas, are using a new material they have
developed, tiny ceramic photocells that could detect incoming light
and so repair malfunctioning human eyes.

10. • Artificial retinas constructed at SVEC consist of 1,00,000 tiny
ceramic detectors, each 1/20 the size of a human hair.
• The arrays are attached to a polymer film one millimetre by
one millimetre in size. A couple of weeks after insertion into
an eyeball, the polymer film will dissolve.
•It is implanted in subretinal space.
•It consists of system :
1. Artificial Silicon Retina
2. MARC (Multiple-Unit Artificial Retina Chip) System
3. Engineering Details
Artificial Silicon Retina
. The ASR is a silicon chip 2 mm in diameter and 1/1000 inch in
thickness. It contains approximately 3,500 microscopic solar
cells called “microphotodiodes,” each having its own
stimulating electrode.

11. • These artificial “photoelectric” signals from the ASR induce biological
visual signals in the remaining functional retinal cells which may be
processed and sent via the optic nerve to the brain.
• The ASR is an extremely tiny device, smaller than the surface of a
pencil eraser. It has a diameter of just 2 mm (.078 inch) and is thinner
than a human hair. There is good reason for its microscopic size.
Magnified Image of ASR ASR Implant in Eye

12. MARC (Multiple-Unit Artificial Retina Chip) System
• The intermediary device is the MARC system.
• The MARC system will operate in the following manner.

13. WORKING OF THE BIONIC IMPLANT
• The device, called the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, was
developed by a California-based company called Second Sight.
• This device is placed behind the retina, the collection of miniature
solar cells is designed to convert normal light to electrical signals,
which are then transmitted to the brain by the remaining healthy
parts of the retina.

14. RETINAL PROSTHESIS SYSTEM
• At Second Sight, their retinal prosthesis uses an array of electrodes to stimulate
the retina. It restores a low level of vision in patients with degenerative diseases.
Their first implant had sixteen electrodes; the new Argus II has 60 electrodes.

15. • The Argus II implant consists of an array of electrodes that are
attached to the retina and used in conjunction with an external
camera and video processing system to provide an earliest stage form
of sight to implanted people.

17. ADVANTAGES
• It helps to correct the vision.
• There is no necessity to suffer from long and short sights.
• It can be easily implanted
• It is the one approved by FDA
• No longer has limited access.
• Research is not limited by budget.
DISADVANTAGES
• There are 120 million rods and 6 million cones in the retina of every healthy
human eye.
• Creating an artificial replacement for these is a risky task.
• Si based photo detectors have been tried in earlier attempts. But Si is toxic
to the human body and reacts unfavourably with fluids in the eye.
• It cost about 30,000$
• It will not be helpful for glaucoma patients.
• Australian one is still being researched.
• Both eyes has research cost in the millions of dollars.
• Australian one has to undergo human trials.
• American one doesn't correct vision to 100%.
• Australian one won't be ready till 2014.

19. CONCLUSION
• Restoration of sight for the blind is no more a dream for people
today. Bionic Eyes have made this true. Though there are a
number of challenges to be faced before this technology reach
the common man, the path has been laid for the concept of
Artificial Vision called “Bionic Eyes”. It is just a matter of time, may
be 4-5 years that the blind will be able to see through these Bionic
Eyes, with thanks to Science and Technology.
• If this system is fully developed it will change the lives of millions
of people around the world. We may not restore the vision fully,
but we can help them at least to find their way, recognize faces,
read books, distinguish between objects such as cups and plates,
above all lead an independent life.

20. Future Scope
Researchers are already planning a third version that has 1,000
electrodes on the retinal implant, which will allow for facial-recognition
capabilities and hope to allow the user to see colourful images.

21. BY
S.BHAVANA
III B.Pharm
KVSR COLLEGE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES