Artificial lenses are first used for vision correction in eyeglasses. They focus light onto the retina, correct astigmatism and increase the focusing power of people with cataracts.
0-100
Bives Willes creates the metal eye prosthesis, commonly used until 1960 when research shows harmful effects resulting from corrosion of the metal.
1938
The United States boycotts replacement eyes made by German glassblowers during World War II, prompting alternative materials to be developed.
1939-1945
Acrylic resin is developed as a basis for the next generation of artificial eyes. Acrylic resin eyes are lightweight, easily made to fit, and durable.
1944
Howard Ridley develops intraocular lenses (IOLs) by inserting a plastic lens after removing a natural lens with cataracts. IOLs replace, rather than assist, the damaged eye lens.
1949
Brindley and Lewin successfully create the perception of vision by stimulating the visual cortex of a human in a controlled manner. Radio signals are used to turn on electrodes implanted into a blind patient’s brain.They find that stimulating a single electrode enables the blind person to ‘see’ a spot of white light, called a phosphene.
1968
Lithium ion batteries are among the advances in portable power source research when scientists develop artificial organs that are connected to large machines outside the body. Their slow discharge rates and light weight revolutionize the prosthetics industry.
1980s
Keratoprostheses (Kpros) are commonly used to restore vision. The most commonly used Kpro is the AlphaCor.
1990s
Practical application of bmis to other prosthetics is advanced considerably by John Donoghue. bmis are used to enable stroke victims and other disabled people with fully functioning cognitive abilities to control robotic prosthetic limbs using signals from their cortex.
2002
John Rogers' research team develops a one-dimensional, stretchable form of single-crystal silicon. The silicon is capable of being stretched and returned to its original form repeatedly.
2005
Researchers continue to use small circular white phosphenes in cortex stimulation to produce very imprecise images relative to normal human vision.
NIBEye prototype developed by high school development team for Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition.
2010
The rate of blindness doubles as projected by The American Academy of Ophthalmology.
2020
The NIBEye is manufactured on a large scale, achieving worldwide availability and giving over 40 million people functional vision.
2030
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