Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
The Blind May See - In The Dark
A number of companies and research laboratories are working on optical prostheses; devices that are actually implanted in the eye of a person who is unable to see. Diseases like macular degeneration, in which ise retina starts to peel away from the back of the eye, may be ameliorated by implanted devices that stimulate the retina electronically.
(From Diagram of the Eye - NIH)
A serious limitation of the devices used so far, which rely on a video signal translated into a small matrix of dots, is that it is difficult for patients to "see" reliably with the devices. They see shapes far better than fine details, like the print of a newspaper.
One optical prosthesis makes use of microbolometers that are able to detect far-infrared radation. Recent advances allow such devices to work at room temperatures. This sensor responds to heat energy; its information is combined with visible light picked up by sensors in a special pair of glasses worn by the patient.
The advantage of bringing far-infrared radiation into the device for the patient is that it works in very low light conditions where contrast is poor. Objects of different temperatures would stand out clearly.
In a two-hour operation, the patient's intraocular lens is removed, and the light sensing device is put in its place. This light sensor is about twice the size of a match head. The back of the sensor is connected to a polymer filament embedded with wires. The filament terminates at a small disk with controls and an array of electrodes, which translate the information from the sensors into electrical signals which are perceived by the retina.
The end result is that a blind person with this device could actually see a black cat in a coal cellar at midnight, using the cat's body heat.
Science fiction author Bruce Sterling wrote about optic television in his 1984 story Twenty Evocations:
"It was astonishing how much room there was in an eye socket, when you stopped to think about it... Nikolai had some other devices installed: a clock, a biofeedback monitor..." (More)
See Vision Quest for more details.
Note: I had one reader object to this article, implying that this just gives false hope to people who have a real disease. This story was not intended to be funny, or cute. (Yes, it does have a striking - but true - title.) It is about a real company that is using solid science to solve a real problem. This story was taken primarily from a reputable online magazine. It is true that this magazine is not a peer-reviewed medical journal. However, I checked out the company quoted as using far-infrared technology; they do have a website representing an incorporated business. The company is Advanced Medical Electronics Corporation. Their website includes full contact information, including the names, phone numbers and email addresses of people you can talk with in their company. The website also states that their technologies were developed with support from the National Institute of Health.
On my site, I have lots of fun with science fiction, which can be irreverent or serious at the whim of the writer. I think I'm usually pretty serious about science, though - and I don't joke about subjects like this. -ed..
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 5/12/2004)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 9 )
Related News Stories - (" Medical ")
Drug Induces Hibernation-Like State In Humans
'... drugged and chilled and stowed in sleep tanks.' - Robert Heinlein, 1951.
Drug To Regenerate Teeth In Humans
'We want to do something to help those who are suffering from tooth loss or absence,' said lead researcher Katsu Takahashi.
Illustrating Classic Heinlein With AI
'Stasis, cold sleep, hibernation, hypothermia, reduced metabolism, call it what you will - the logistics-medicine research teams had found a way to stack people like cordwood and use them when needed.' - Robert Heinlein, 1956
Brainoware Reservoir Computation Of Biological Neural Networks
'Head cheese. Cultured brains on a slab.' - Peter Watts, 1999.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Tesla Electric 'Giga Train' Operational In Germany
'...the cars are wedge-shaped at both ends.'
DOTPad Braille Device Offers Live Access
Amazing tactile display.
Biohybrid Robot Combines Living Muscle With Artificial Materials
'...great rectangular slabs of muscle, slung into a rectangular frame.'
Biohybrid Robots Made Of Living And Synthetic Materials
'If the biological robots were not living creatures, they were certainly very good imitations.'
Drug Induces Hibernation-Like State In Humans
'... drugged and chilled and stowed in sleep tanks.'
Poul Anderson's 'Brain Wave'
"Everybody and his dog, it seemed, wanted to live out in the country; transportation and communication were no longer isolating factors."
AI Note-Taking From Google Meet
'... the new typewriter that could be talked to, and which transposed the spoken sound into typed words.'
Qore IcePlates Are Personal Cooling Suits
'... underneath they consisted of networks of cooling tubes against the skin.'
P1 Just The Latest Robot To Take A Beating From Humans
'...we mere people come second.'
Waymo Cars Shout At Each Other, Autonomously
'My cars talk to one another. I have no doubt about it...'
Your Solar Electric Paint Is Ready, Larry Niven
'...you spray it on.'
How Long Till We Have These Tattoos?
Truth or fiction?
Seeing Faces On Grains Of Sand (AI Pareidolia)
'... the imprint of her image on the telephoto cell.'
Lunar Biorepository Proposed For Cryo-Preservation Of Earth Species
'...there was no one alive who had ever seen them. But they existed in the Life Bank.'
Tele-Driving Offers Jobs For Tele-Drivers, Not AIs
''...some bored drone pusher in a remote driving centre...'
Autonomous Robotic Dentist - Would You Say 'Ahhh'?
You might be surprised at how much more efficient this could be.
