Blind patients can read Braille patterns visually instead of feeling the Braille text on their fingers tips. These patients can read up to 4 letter words quickly & accurately with the help of Neuroprosthetic device Argus II which act directly into a blind patient’s retina so that they can read out. Argus II works on the principle of Photovoltaic retinal prosthesis which is an innovative technology for restoring sight to blind patients suffering from degenerative retinal diseases such as Retinitis Pigmentosa and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD). Retinitis Pigmentosa is an inherited degenerative eye disorder. The disease ARMD causes deterioration of the photoreceptor cells in the central part of the retina.
The brain imaging study implies that brain region which is responsible for reading activities showing same activity in same area for blind people as well as sighted readers.
Argus II uses a small camera mounted on a pair of glasses, an external video processing unit to translate the signal into electrical stimulation from the camera, and a microelectrode array with electrodes implanted directly on the retina. After applying the Argus II in blind patients it has been seen that the patient could able to see the patterns successfully & then read individual letters with up to good accuracy. The microarray chips are used to stimulate the patterns directly onto the neurons which is attached to the retina.
This innovative strategy could lead to possible approach towards the blind people who after using it, can able to read & sensitize the different patterns in future.
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