Yaphet Kotto finds Bionic Eye a Sight Saver

Yaphet Kotto finds Bionic Eye a Sight Saver for blindness

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Sightsavers is a large international charity that works to combat blindness in developing countries. It is based in the United Kingdom, with branches in Italy, Republic of Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and the USA.

Sightsavers operates around the world to restore sight to the blind, to provide medical care for the prevention of blindness, and to promote equal opportunities for disabled people.

The charity was founded in 1950 by Sir John Wilson (1919–1999), a blind lawyer. It was originally named "British Empire Society for the Blind" and later became the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind. With headquarters at Haywards Heath in West Sussex, it is a charity registered in England & Wales and Scotland.

10 Health Inventions That Will Improve Your Life

Health Inventions That Will Improve Your Life

This bionic eyeball might look like it's been plucked from the skull of a movie android, but it's really a symbol of hope for millions of people with retinal disease and age-related macular degeneration, two major causes of blindness.The invention works like this: A tiny camera, attached to a pair of glasses worn by the patient, gathers images much as a real eye would, then transmits them wirelessly to a titanium-encased microchip on the eyeball. The chip stimulates retinal nerve cells, which then send pictures along the optic nerve to the brain. “The implant can't restore full vision,” says co-inventor John Wyatt, PhD, an engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “but our goal is to provide enough that a patient can walk down a familiar street without a cane or a guide dog.” He's aiming for FDA approval within three years. 

Source: www.rd.com/slideshows