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Artificial lens implant promises to give patients 'HD vision'
Implanted lenses may be old hat compared to newfangled sight restoration techniques involving radiation beams and teeth, but it looks like some eye surgeons in the UK have now come up with a few new tricks that promise to let patients see better than ever. The new process apparently starts out like a standard procedure for cataracts, but makes use of lenses made from light-sensitive silicone that can be fine tuned several times after the surgery, eventually giving the patient "HD vision" that's said to be better than 20/20. The lenses can apparently even be adjusted for either bifocal or varifocal use, eliminating the need for some patients to wear glasses at all. Head on past the break for a video. [Thanks, Esevila]
MIT researchers tout progress with retinal implant - yes, it comes with a visor
As impressive as that tooth-eye implant was, we're guessing most folks had something more like this in mind when they considered the future of sight restoration. While it's still a bit early in development, and has yet to actually be implanted in anyone, this new retinal implant certainly seems to have the researchers at MIT excited, who say that tests with blind patients could begin within the next three years. The basic idea behind it was apparently inspired by the cochlear implants that have proven successful in restoring people's hearing, although in this case the implant works by electrically stimulating damaged nerve cells that would ordinarily send visual signals from the retina to the brain. According to the researchers, however, the system would only work on folks that have lost their sight due due retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration, and it wouldn't restore complete sight, but could let them see enough to find their way through a room or walk down a sidewalk (which is certainly no small feat). They'll also have to wear a special set of glasses (or visor, if you prefer), which will not only wirelessly send images to the implant, but keep it powered wirelessly through a set of coils.[Via The Register]
Video: doctors implant tooth into eye, restore sight, creep everyone out
Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis. It's a real procedure that really does revive people's ability to see, yet we get the feeling that people will be more, um, excited about how it's done than why it's done. The seemingly Mary Shelley-inspired doctors extract a tooth from a blind person and drill a hole through it, where a prosthetic lens is placed, and the resulting macabre construction is implanted into the blind person's eye. The tooth is necessary as the body would reject an artificial base. It's not at all pretty, and it cannot repair every type of blindness, but it's still a major step forward. To hear from Sharron Thornton, the first American to have undergone the procedure, check the video after the break, but only if you can handle mildly graphic content -- you've been warned. [Via Daily Tech]
Bone-anchored hearing aids filter out noise, finally ready for human implantation
Think those noise-canceling earbuds are hot stuff? Imagine if said technology was applied to an advanced type of implantable hearing aid, and you'll have an idea of exactly what Earthlings with severe hearing loss now have to look forward to. For years now, we've watched as cochlear implants became more effective in lab tests, and up until recently, we've had strict medical testing procedures to thank for the inability to actually get one. Now, one Colin Hughes will soon be amongst the first Australians to enjoy a "new bone-anchored hearing aid designed to adjust to noisy environments, quiet conversations and the varying rhythms and pitch of music." Due to a birth defect that left him with atypically narrow eustachian tubes, Colin was never able to take advantage of traditional hearing aids for any length of time, but now these $12,000 (per pair) devices are promising a new life for the 70-year old bloke. Our favorite feature? MP3 players can be directly (and discretely) attached, enabling old geezers to tune out old hags without them ever noticing.[Thanks, Mike]
Filmmaker hopes to replace false eye with webcam, become a superhero
There are quite a few eerie similarities between Rob Spence and Tanya Vlach. For starters, they're both artists, and secondly, they both currently have one prosthetic eye. The real kicker? Each of 'em wants a camera stuck in there instead. In what we can only hope is (or isn't?) a freakishly growing trend, Mr. Spence has reportedly sought consultation from the University of Toronto's Steve Mann, a self-proclaimed expert in the field of wearable computing and cyborgs. Essentially, Rob is hoping to install a webcam in his eye socket in order to become a so-called "lifecaster." The camera wouldn't actually be wired to his brain, thus his level of vision would remain subpar, but it would make him a living science experiment that would surely prove insightful to an array of others. As of now, it sounds like the road to installation is long, but we get the impression that this guy isn't apt to give up until the proverbial fat lady begins to bellow.
Speed kills
EVE Online has evolved into a game where being fast and agile allows you to choose your fights, dictate range and thus control the course of the battle, disengage whenever you choose, and often move so quickly that you're largely unassailable. However, the era of the nano craze will soon be coming to a close, according to EVE Online developer CCP Nozh. His latest dev blog addresses the insane velocities achievable, even by previously lumbering battleships, with combinations of speed modules, rigs, pirate implants and performance-boosting drugs. (For those less familiar with EVE or its more deviant aspects, you can in fact use and sell drugs in the game.) CCP Nozh outlined the dev team's design goals in stemming the speed crisis:
Skin-tenna technology promises to keep medical implants connected
We've already some efforts to tailor Bluetooth for use with medical devices, but it looks like a team of researchers from Queen's University Belfast have now come up with another method of keeping devices connected, which they say is more efficient and better suited for implants. Their solution is effectively a "skin-tenna," which makes use of a puck-like device worn on the outside of the body that allows wireless signals to "creep" along an individual's skin. That, the researchers say, not only minimizes the "off-body signals," but requires far less power than Bluetooth or other wireless technologies, which is obviously a plus when a battery change consists of a trip to the operating room.
Researchers develop human prosthesis for balance, unfortunately it's not a tail
There's hope for those of us suffering from chronic imbalance as a result of staring too long at periodic tables and 20-sided dice. It's an implant developed by neuroscientists at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. The implant looks to off-set balance irregularities in the human vestibular system caused by trauma or disease affecting the gyroscopic function of the inner ear. A microprocessor converts signals received from a motion sensor worn on the head into electrical impulses. These are then sent to an electrode implanted into the inner ear. The first test will begin next week on a rhesus monkey. A move which evokes cries of "unfair" from us -- unlike nerds, monkeys already have excellent balance.
Researchers develop eye-implantable camera
Most of the bionic eye systems we've seen involve clunky glasses-cam headgear, but the implantable camera now being developed at UCLA does it straight Terminator-style and keeps your face unencumbered. The camera, which researcher Michelle Hauer and her team recently filed a patent for, is small enough to be implanted directly on the eye's lens, and feeds image data to a chip at the back of the eye, where it can either be fed into the optic nerve to aid the blind, or just into a portable hard drive to aid the creepy. Hauer says power will come from on an onboard battery, but we're more interested in the mention of "optical control signals" in the patent application -- and by "interested" we mean "terrified of a zombie android army."Read - NewScientist blurbRead - Patent application
Carina implantable hearing aid gets showed off
We've been hearing about cochlear implants of various sorts some time for some time now, but it looks things are about to get a whole lot more implantable, with a pair of fully implantable hearing aids now in clinical trials. One of those is developed by the folks at Envoy Medical, while the other comes from Otologics of Boulder, CO, which the MIT Technology Review got to check it out first hand, so to speak. Dubbed "Carina," the hearing aid consists of four separate pieces that are designed to be countersunk into the skull, including a microphone the size of a fingernail that sits behind the ear and a main processing unit that also houses the rechargeable lithium-ion battery that powers the device. That, as you're no doubt wondering, gets replenished by a charging unit that's held in place with a magnet and must be worn for an hour or two a day. As the Review heard straight from one of the device's early users, the entire setup appears to work remarkably well, delivering a "natural feeling of hearing." As it's quick to point out, however, the device still has a long ways to go, with the study currently only having twelve of the 70 to 80 users it needs to complete "phase II" of the trials. And, of course, there's that small matter of price, with the Carina currently ringing in at a cool $20,000 (for one ear), none of which is covered by insurance.
Brain implant, software enables patients to think out loud
Truth be told, we've already seen instances where technology has enabled individuals to speak without speaking, but a brain implant placed into Eric Ramsey's head could certainly raise the bar in this field. The wireless electrode, which resides just six-millimeters below the surface of his brain, records pulses from 41 surrounding neurons involved in speech generation, and thanks to software developed by the associated team, those thoughts will hopefully be translated into words in the not-too-distant future. Currently, the group feels that they can accurately identify the word Ramsey is thinking up 80-percent of the time, and in the coming weeks, a computer will begin giving the patient real-time feedback so he can perfect the art of thinking out loud. 'Course, the team responsible isn't likely to be satisfied until an unadulterated conversation can take place, but it seems we're well on our way to seeing that come to fruition.[Via BBC]
VeriChip defends its implantable microchips, promises they're safe
Man, that was quick. Just two days after reports hit the net about RFID implants being linked to cancer, VeriChip is lunging out to vehemently defend its own implantable microchip. Interestingly enough, the firm cites phrases from a number of studies to suggest that all is well and we've nothing to fear by getting one of these bad boys inserted into us, and it also makes darn sure we know the thing has been "cleared by the FDA as a Class II Medical Device." Lastly, the company has promised to continue looking at the "veracity and credibility of the studies," and noted that it would "take the necessary steps to ensure that our products remain safe to the end user." Phew, good thing, eh?
Performance artist Stelarc implants "third ear" in forearm
Picking up where the Vacanti mouse left off, Australian performance artist Stelarc went through with his plans to implant a cell-cultivated ear beneath the skin of his forearm earlier this year, and he's now showing off the results for the world to squirm at. Stelarc apparently isn't satisfied with his newfound appendage just yet, however, and is reportedly planning another surgery to give the ear "more definition." What's more, he's also hoping to implant a microphone inside the ear that'll use a Bluetooth transmitter to, you guessed it, broadcast what it hears over the Internet.[Via Boing Boing, photo courtesy of Nina Sellars]
JHU research leads to diabetes treating implant
Although a number of unique diabetes treatments are already in the works, researchers at Johns Hopkins University are giving it a shot of their own with a newfangled intravascular implant. A team of undergrads have collaborated with doctors and biomedical engineers to develop a "specialized implant for a potential treatment of type I diabetes," which has been created for implantation inside the portal vein in order to dole out insulin when needed. The pouch would ideally be "impregnated with insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells," but researchers have insinuated that this same system could possibly be used to treat other ailments such as liver disease. Notably, users could actually have the pouch removed, refilled, and reinserted if additional treatment is needed, and while no firm timeframe has been settled on for release, a provisional patent has already been applied for and "animal testing" is set to start this summer.[Via MedGadget]
Software system to enable visual prosthesis learning
Years back, scientists at the University of Bonn reckoned a visual implant would cure blindness, but unfortunately, the results were less than positive. While many alternatives have surfaced in the meantime, gurus at the institution are hitting back yet again with another option of their own, as the researchers introduced a software system that enables visual prosthesis to "learn" how to interpret sights in a way that the brain can understand -- something the original implementation had difficultly accomplishing. Essentially, an artificial retina "must learn to generate signals that are useful for the brain," and while the group's software should assist users with "flexible" central visual systems to garner new abilities in sight, they warn against "expecting miracles" too soon.[Via MedGadget]
Researchers set to test bionic eye implant
Researchers at the University of Southern California's Doheny Eye Institute have snagged the all-important FDA approval need to begin clinical trials of their bionic eye implant, joining a growing number of other groups following in Lee Majors footsteps. Once underway, between 50 and 75 patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration will be outfitted with the implant, which has already seen some degree of success in limited testing. As the image above shows, in its current form at least, the device isn't completely implantable, also consisting of a small camera mounted on a pair of glasses that's wired to a handheld device. It works by processing images from the camera and wirelessly transmitting them to a receiver implanted in the eye, which in turn sends signals to a series of electrodes that stimulate the retina, sending the information to the brain, all of which happens in real time. While it won't restore full sight, the researchers say patients should be able to detect light and distinguish objects from one another. If all goes as planned, they also foresee the device being commercially available shortly after the trials are complete, although it obviously won't come cheap, with an expected price tag of $30,000. Let's just hope a mirror shades version isn't too far behind.[Via BBC News]
Intellidrug tooth implant delivers dosages, tinfoil hat sold separately
We've certainly seen our fair share of tools for improving drug delivery 'round here, from the humble talking pill bottle to high-powered jet injectors to the ever-popular drug-toting, blood-swimming robots, but a group of European scientists seem to think there's still room for improvement, recently unveiling their Intellidrug tooth implant device. Technically a "dental prosthesis," the device is designed to find inside two artificial molars (which could cause a problem for those that still have their teeth) and deliver small doses of medication as needed, with the patient absorbing it in the mucous membranes of their cheeks. Of course, there's only so much medicine you can cram into a pair of teeth, with the scientists saying patient's should be able to store enough for a couple of weeks, after which they'll have to check in for a refill and a battery replacement. Most of us are likely still quite a ways off from running down to the neighborhood drug store to get our teeth topped off, however, with clinical testing of the Intellidrug only set to begin later this year.
Battery-free pacemaker on the horizon
Having one surgery is plenty, and having some foreign object implanted in your being is really pushing things, but knowing you're going to be under the knife every ten years or so to get a new battery is just absurd. Thankfully, a group of researchers in the UK feel the same way, and are well on their way to developing a battery-free pacemaker. Reportedly, the device would use a microgenerator producing electricity every time the patient moves, effectively eliminating the need for an internal battery. The cost of the £1 million ($1.96 million) project is being shared by the Department of Trade and Industry and private companies, one being Zarlink Semiconductor who has a large role in the device's development. Other teams around the globe are also seeking to create such a unit, with ideas spanning from tiny generators that receive power from heat right onto "biological pacemakers" that would correct heart problems without the need for a mechanical device. While there's no estimate as to when these gizmos will even hit the testing and approval phase, it seems that things are moving along quite well, but we have to stop and wonder how well a pacemaker powered by motion will function when you, well, cease moving.[Via MedGadget]
HeartMate II: the pulse-free artificial heart
Since the FDA gave the big thumbs up to a fully implantable artificial heart earlier this month, cardiac surgeon "Bud" Frazier and his team at the Texas Heart Institute aren't wasting any time in developing what they hope will be a fully-functioning, pulse-free artificial heart. The "continuous flow pump" channels deoxygenated blood through the entire body on a non-stop basis, and over two years of testing in cattle, has resulted in lengthening the lives of the previously terminal cud chewers. Replacement hearts that are currently available are too large to fit into folks without "large chest cavities" (including most women), and due to the vast quantity of moving parts, aren't guaranteed to function for an extended period of time. Frazier's alternative, however, is about the size of "an adult thumb," consists of a single moving part (the rotor), and has been designed to keep the blood moving for ten or more years. The HeartMate II can even respond dynamically to the needs of the body, so more blood is circulated when busting a move, and less is pumped when kicking back for a soothing game of competitive relaxation. While the long-term consequences of living a pulseless life are still under debate, Frazier's group is hoping to move forward with development -- and apparently challenge medical personnel everywhere to find a new way to monitor those vital signs.
VeriChip's human-implatable RFID chips clonable, sez hackers
In case anyone needed more proof that we're all living in a Philip K. Dick novel, a pair of hackers have recently demonstrated how human-implantable RFID chips from VeriChip can be easily cloned, effectively stealing the person's identity. Annalee Newitz and Jonathan Westhues showed off their handiwork at the HOPE Number Six conference in New York City this weekend, with Newitz herself playing the role of guinea pig, implanting a VeriChip RFID chip in her right arm. To clone the chip, Westhues first read Newitz's arm with a standard RFID reader, then scanned it again with a homebrew antenna connected to his laptop, which recorded the signal off the chip. He then used the same RFID reader to read the signal from his laptop, which promptly spit out Newtiz's supposedly unique ID. For its part, VeriChip has only said they haven't yet had a chance to review the evidence but still insist that "it's very difficult to steal a VeriChip." [Via Techdirt]
