More BrandsIsraeli scientists have developed a contact lens that may be able to offer sight to the blind. Led by Professor Zeev Zalevsky, the research team from Bar-Ilan University has received high praise from Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, who stated during the official ceremony that saw Israel join Geneva-based nuclear research organisation CERN that their discovery as one of the greatest achievements made by the country’s scientific community.
Lieberman told the audience that the bionic contact lens was no different from regular contacts when it came to fitting and wearing. It works through electrodes placed on its surface and receives signals from a camera, which can be hand-held or mounted on glasses. When the camera is pointed at an object, it translates the image into something like electronic Braille and produces tactile sensations which stimulate the retina. As Zalevsky explained, the process was similar to reading Braille but with the eyes, not the fingertips.
In an interview for Gizmag, Zalevsky pointed out that the prototype showed significant promise but the research team needed to put the lens through extensive testing. One of the priorities now is to secure the funding that would allow the scientists to complete full-scale clinical trials and start preparing for mass production, he said. If they manage to hit their fund-raising target, the researchers expect to complete the research and development period within two years. This timeframe is dependent on the team’s ability to raise the necessary funds, Zalevsky told Gizmag.
