Allen Zderad an American, was able to see his wife for the first time in 10 whole years after his sight was restored.
The 68-year-old Minnesotan's vision began deteriorating and he was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that currently has no effective treatment or cure.
However, a clinical trial using a system called Second Sighthas given Zderad the ability to see shapes, make out human forms and even see his own reflection in a window.
In a video, Allen is seen reaching for his wife.
"It's crude, but it's significant; it’ll work," Zderad says in the video.
Zderad was the first ideal patient for the clinical trial, which theMayo Clinic describes as a "bionic eye implant that sends light wave signals to the optic nerve, bypassing the damaged retina. A tiny wafer-like chip was embedded in his right eye, wires attached in a surgical procedure in January, then two weeks later, the rest of the prosthetic device set in glasses was activated."
"It's a bionic eye in every sense of the word. "It's not a replacement for the eyeball, but it works by interacting with the eye,” Dr. Raymond Iezzi Jr., who performed the procedure, said.
This is just the beginning of the treatment, however. The Mayo Clinic said that more adjustments are necessary, and hours of physical therapy lie ahead for Zderad.
No comments:
Post a Comment