Vision Restoration: A Dream Nearer a Reality
2024年7月17日 - 11:00PM
It has long been a dream to restore vision for people who are blind
or visually impaired. However, doing so, either through
transplanting a functioning eye or using technological aids, is an
incredibly complex challenge. In fact, many considered it
impossible. But thanks to cutting-edge research and programs, the
ability to restore vision is getting closer than ever.
In the latest episode of “On Tech and
Vision,” Dr. Calvin W. Roberts, podcast host and
president and CEO of Lighthouse Guild, describes his own work as
program manager for a project on eye transplantation called
Transplantation of Human Eye Allographs (THEA). Funded by a
government initiative called ARPA-H, THEA is bringing some of the
country’s finest minds together to tackle the complexities of
connecting a person’s brain to an eye from a human donor. Dr.
Roberts’ work with THEA is bringing together multiple teams to
address the challenges associated with a whole eyeball transplant,
from connecting nerves and muscles, ensuring the organ isn’t
rejected, and much more.
“Although eyeball transplants have been done, they’ve only been
cosmetic. So far, nobody has been able to successfully connect a
donor eyeball to a recipient’s brain,” says Dr. Roberts. “Now
rapidly advancing technology is bringing us exciting new
possibilities for vision restoration.”
The episode also features an interview with Dr. Daniel Palanker
of Stanford University who is working on technology that can
artificially restore sight through prosthetic replacement of
photoreceptors, the cells in the retina that are key to turning
light that enters the eyes into a form the brain can use for the
sense of vision. Having proved successful in animals, Dr. Palanker
and his team are working hard to translate it to humans.
For both Dr. Roberts and Dr. Palanker, one of the biggest
challenges with vision restoration is understanding how the eye and
brain communicate.
“It’s like Morse Code,” says Dr. Roberts, “The eye speaks to the
brain in dots and dashes, which the brain then converts into
vision. Right now, the language is still foreign to us, but we’re
closer than ever to decoding it.”
Now in its fifth season, “On Tech & Vision with Dr. Cal
Roberts” explores big ideas on how technology is making
life better for people with vision loss. It has over 16,000
downloads since it launched in 2020 and is a recipient of a 2023
Anthem Award. The podcast is available online at
Lighthouseguild.org and for downloading on Apple Music, Spotify,
Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Podcasts and Tunein.com. Twitter:
@LighthouseGld #OnTechVision.
Program Note: The audio of Dr. Roberts interview is adapted from
an interview with him on “The Doctors Podcast.”
About Lighthouse GuildLighthouse Guild provides
exceptional services that inspire people who are visually impaired
to attain their goals. We provide coordinated care for eye health,
vision rehabilitation and behavioral health as well as related
services.
Bryan Dotson
Lighthouse Guild
917-796-8632
bdotson@mannersdotson.com