The PresbyLens is a small corneal implant designed to replace the need for wearing glasses. It's already available in Europe and a trial in the US started on 6th April 2010.
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Augmented reality is also known as AR. AR a live view of a physical real-world environment with an overlay of computer-generated imagery. It's main benefit is to allow people to find information without having to be in front of a computer using a search engine. By simply looking at the environment, certain information will appear depending on what it being looked at, and what the person has chosen to view. What is being looked at is determined by the GPS position and the direction is determined by a compass. Both of these are now available in most new smart phones.
What the person decides to view as an overlay can be thought of as layers. For example they might choose to see restaurants, public transport information or even prices of objects in a shop. These layers can be switched on one or many at a time. Other permanent layers might include a clock or the current temperature.
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A panel set up by the FDA has recommended by a vote of 15-0 that they will approve the first fully-implantable hearing aid for patients with moderate to severe hearing loss.
The Esteem®-Hearing Implant™ developed by Envoy Medical is different from all other microphone-based hearing devices (hearing aids, other middle ear implants or cochlear implants). This is because it uses the eardrum to process the incoming sound and thereby preserving a natural way of hearing. The Esteem®-Hearing Implant™ is 100% implantable and therefore invisible.
The device works by being implanted under the skin behind the ear. Sound waves travel into the ear canal and set the ear drum into motion by causing the bones of the middle ear to vibrate. The device senses these movements and delivers a customized dose of energy to the cochlea which then transmits the signals to the brain. The brain interprets the signals as hearing, which in turn provides the patient with improved hearing.
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Google Goggles is likely to be the beginning of augmented reality on a mass scale. It works by searching the web for information based on a picture or photo. Its been designed for smart phones as well as the chrome browser. Basically anything you see is what you can search. Due to concerns over a backlash from privacy advocates, Google has decided to blur faces that are used with the application. So it seems for now we have to live with only searching for objects and places.
Read more: Google Goggles Beginning of Mass Augmented Reality
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The Argus II artificial eye is manufactured by Second Sight Medical Products Inc. It's designed to take the place of damaged photoreceptors. Although these devices are still experimental, Second Sight is seeking approval to market the device which may come as soon as next year in Europe and the U.S.
In May 2009 they received approval from the US FDA to trial the Argus 2 in 20 more people. Since then there have been various news articles showing promising results.
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Russian scientists have developed a new laser which can correct eyesight without cutting the surface of the eye. Laser surgery to restore eyesight has been performed for nearly two decades, and every year the procedure becomes safer and easier. Currently, it can be done using two lasers, one opening the eye's surface and the other working with the cornea itself. But soon even this futuristic technology may seem ancient as true technology of the 21st Century steps in.
“Our laser is able to penetrate the eye's cornea without damaging its surface. As a result we can make the needed changes inside the eyeball without having to open it first,” shares Konstantin Lapshin, senior researcher at Physics Instrumentation Centre. The femtosecond laser generates impulses of light less than one billionth of a second long. Such beams can cut or evaporate matter when several lasers are aimed at one spot.
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In July Cochlear announced its latest hearing implant system the Nucleus 5. It then recieved FDA approval in September to begin selling in the US. It consists of the next generation implant and next generation external processor. The Nucleus 5 is the worlds thinnest cochlear implant and is 40 per cent thinner and two-and-a-half times stronger than the previous device.
Both the implant and external processor are compatible with the current Nucleus Freedom cochlear implant system, so the implant and the external processor can be released independently. Five research trials have shown that the Nucleus 5 speech recognition scores are higher than with other cochlear implant systems. Its built to last a lifetime and the wearer can relax around water with the water resistant sound processor.
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In a world-first breakthrough, researchers from UNSW in Sydney have used stem cells cultured on a simple contact lens to restore sight to sufferers of blinding corneal disease.
Corneal damage from infection, burns and chemotherapy is estimated to be the cause of sight loss in about 1.5 million people every year. These people usually wear contact lenses so it makes sense to deliver a stem cell therapy via those contact lenses. Treating corneal damage with contact lenses is simple and cheap.
Read more: Curing the Blind with Stem-Cell-Coated Contact Lenses
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Named "The Wrap 920AV", the headgear from maker Vuzix represents the first of its kind that can function as either sunglasses or portable video eyewear. The unit will include virtual reality capabilities along with augmented reality features. Augmented reality has been possible for a while but latest pair of video glasses look almost like normal pair of sunglasses which is sure to attract more interest from the average person.The Wrap 920AV glasses will connect with almost any media player, and include built in headphones and individual focal adjustments. It includes built-in audio for quiet viewing, as well as individual focal adjustments. The earbuds on the unit are directly attached, so all you have to do is pop them in and you're ready to go. No word on pricing or exact specs, but more details are sure to be revealed soon.
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May 2007 - Hopkins researchers have identified a backup supply of stem cells that can repair the most severe damage to the nerves responsible for our sense of smell. These reservists normally lie around and do nothing, but when neighboring cells die, the scientists say, the stem cells jump into action. "These stem cells act like the Army Reserves of our nose," explains lead author professor Randall Reed.
The only nerve cells in the body to run directly from the brain to the outside world, olfactory cells are under constant assault from harsh chemicals that one might happen to catch a whiff of by accident, risking damage or death.
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