ARGUS:Bionic Eye
University
of Michigan
Kellogg Eye
Center
Dr. Thiran Jayasundera,
One of the surguns who
preforms this surgury.
Site for all four implants
Anne Arbor
Roger Pontz
Retinitis Pigmentosa
Causes
"Bare light blindness"
Gradual sight loss
from light sensitive
rods and cones which
are retinal cells.
Inherited predisposition
Diagnosed as a teen,
nearly totally blind for
many years
Degenerative disease
Technology
behind the
"miracle"
Research and cost
Research has been going on twenty
years, originating at Duke. Very expensive at almost 145,000$
Results
Most patients compare
the improvement against
the idea of being totally
blind and are very pleased
Pontz was seeing glimpses
of his wife, grandson and cat
The improvement was
starteling for Pontz and
his wife
This implant
gives you flashes
of light that may
correspond to things
around you
The technology
has two physically
seperate parts
Internal: Surgically
implanted antennea
and micro-chip
Micro-chip stimulates
the retina
Signal goes to
a micro-chip attached
to the retina
Called a coil and goes
around the eye
External:Specialized
glasses
Video gets proccessed
by the compute and
sends it back to the glasses
the camera is
wired to a small
computer
Has camera in middle
Duke Eye Center
First such surgury in
North Carolina state
history
DR. Paul Hahn
Duke
Larry Hestor
Also has retinitis
pigmentosa
Inherited (genetic)
predisposition
Disease damages the retinal
cells, the light sensitive rods
and cones
Causes bare light blindness
Degemerative illness
Has been losing eye
sight for 30 years
