‘Bionic Eye’ Allows Some Blind People to See Light

Sanden Totten, KQED Science Contributor | October 27, 2014 | 1 Comment

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Dr. Linda Olmos De Koo examines Lisa Kulik’s prosthetic retina at the USC Eye Institute. The device helps Kulik differentiate between light and shadows so she can better interpret the world around her. (Benjamin Brayfield/KPCC)

An eye implant developed by the University of Southern California — the first FDA-approved implant of its kind — is helping people with a rare type of vision loss regain some sight. And it’s paving the way for more types of “bionic eyes” to treat other forms of blindness in the future.

Dubbed the Argus II, the implant was designed to treat retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder that slowly robs a person of sight by destroying photoreceptors in the eye.

Lisa Kulik, 55, is the first person west of the Mississippi to receive the commercial version of this device.

Go to KPCC’s website to read the full story and see how the device works.

Explore: Argus II, blindness, retinal implant

Category: Audio, Engineering, Health, News, Radio

About the Author (Author Profile)

Sanden Totten is KPCC's Science Reporter. He covers everything from advances in medical technology to dinosaur fossils and space exploration. Before joining Southern California Public Radio, Sanden worked at Minnesota Public Radio, where he was co-creator of In "The Loop," a program that made the audience part of the show. He was also part of the team behind the Public Insight Network, a crowd-sourcing project designed to bring unique perspectives to news. Sanden is the winner of several honors, including the Radio and TV News Association’s Golden Mike for “best writing.” He was a 2011 Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT. He has a BA in Psychology and English from Oberlin College in Ohio, and also attended school in Japan and Sweden, and speaks both languages. He is a fan of fast music, comics and movies about time travel.