can anyone tell about any progress on stem cell treatment? which can we expect first bonic eye or stem cells treatment.
regards, sazid On 1/5/16, shahnaz <shycur...@yahoo.co.in> wrote: > > BBC News: The Bionic Eye Changing A Woman's Life. > > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35220615 > > > At Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, a clinical trial is taking place in > which six patients who have had little or no sight for many years are having > a cutting-edge "bionic eye" implanted in an attempt to give them some sight, > and independence, back. > The first patient in this trial is 49-year-old Rhian Lewis, from Cardiff. > She explains: "I was a toddler when my parents noticed I would not cross a > darkened room, even from one light room to another light room, and that I > was really scared of the dark. So they took me back and forward to the > optician and specialists and then they diagnosed me with retinitis > pigmentosa." > This disorder destroys the light sensitive cells in the retina - but how > much and how quickly varies from person to person. In Rhian's case, it > eventually made her almost completely blind. > "I think I was about four or five. I've never had any vision at night or in > dim light and then, as I went through school, I had the glasses and I sat at > the front because I couldn't see the board. > "It was progressive and as I went to work in a shop, checking up deliveries, > I had to use a magnifier increasingly to check the delivery notes and then I > couldn't read the titles of the books properly, so then they put me on to > different materials, like art and stationery, because there were different > shapes and sizes so I could manage with that - I could do a lot from > memory." > > Her sight deteriorated and around 16 years ago she lost all vision in her > right eye and most of the sight in her left eye. > "In my left eye, I sort of navigate around by light. If it's bright outside > I'll sort of aim for the window or if it's dark and the lights are on I'll > navigate by the light bulbs, like a moth." > The problem with having no sight, she says, is that you also lose your > confidence because you lose your mobility. > "I don't go out and about on my own, ever. Then around the house, the > kitchen, you rely on other people to find things for you - it's very > frustrating. It's simple things like shopping...clothes shopping, you don't > know what you look like. It's been, maybe eight years that I've had any sort > of idea of what my children look like. And I've got friends now where I've > got no idea what they look like. And I certainly don't know how I've aged." > In the summer, Rhian travelled to Oxford for an operation to implant a tiny > 3x3mm chip into her right eye. > The device replaces the light-sensitive retinal cells in the eye, and is > connected to a tiny computer that sits underneath the skin behind the ear. > Image copyright Oxford NHS hospitals trust Image caption The small implant > measures 3mm by 3mm > When it is switched on using a magnetic coil applied to the skin, signals > travel to the optic nerve and then to the brain. > Rhian still had an intact optic nerve and all the brain wiring needed for > vision, but her mind needed time to adjust to the signals it was suddenly > receiving after being dormant for so long. > She explains: "It was a bit nerve-wracking. I didn't know what to expect. > "They sort of put the magnet to the little receiver there on my head and > switched the receiver on. They said I might not get any sensation… and then > all of a sudden within seconds there was like this flashing in my eye, which > has seen nothing for over 16 years, so it was like, 'Oh my God, wow!' It was > just amazing to feel that something was happening in that eye, that there > was some sort of signal." > One of the first tests the doctors did was to check if Rhian could now see > flashing lights on a computer screen in a dark room - she could. > Image copyright Oxford University Image caption The implant sits at the back > of the eye and takes over the job of cells called photoreceptors > "What I was seeing was sort of a line at the top of my eye and at the > bottom. But it was getting quite distracting because it was quite a slow > flash really, so I asked them if they'd change the frequency. Now I've got > more of a shimmer, rather than flashing lines, which is much less > distracting and a little more accurate." > Next they checked if she could distinguish white objects on a black > background - a white plate on a black tablecloth - which didn't go so well. > Rhian recalls: "I wasn't quite sure where the plate was. So I left that day > with sort of mixed feelings, because the flashing was working but I couldn't > see the plate on the table." > Image caption One test involved Rhian looking closely at a large cardboard > clock to see if she could tell the time correctly > She returned the following day to repeat the failed test. > "They did the objects on the table and I could get them and I was so > chuffed, I must have looked like a kid at Christmas! I was just locating a > plate, a cup and a couple of shapes, but it was difficult because I didn't > have any co-ordination. I haven't seen anything through that eye for so > long, so I kept overshooting it a little bit - but we were getting there. I > was just elated, really elated." > Next, it was time to go outside. > "I was absolutely terrified, because I didn't know what to expect at all. > And I was thinking 'oh, I don't want to let anybody down, I don't want to > let myself down…' But as it turned out, it was great. > "There was a car, a silver car and I couldn't believe it, because the signal > was really strong and that was the sun shining on the silver car. And I was > just, well, I was just so excited, I was quite teary! > "Being out in the real world, actually out in the street, you know, is far > more useful, than locating flashes on a computer screen and doing the things > in the lab. Just to walk under a tree and realising it'd gone dark was > amazing, because I hadn't had that. > "Now, when I locate something, especially like a spoon or a fork on the > table, it's pure elation, you know. I just get so excited that I've got > something right. It's really just pure joy to get something right, because > I've never done it before - well, not for the last 16 or 17 years anyway." > The surgical team at the Oxford Eye Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital have > been as delighted as Rhian with her progress. > Although the chip has the resolution power of less than 1% of one megapixel, > which is not much compared to a standard phone camera, it has the advantage > of being connected to the human brain, which has over 100 billion neurons of > processing power. > Using dials on a small wireless power supply held in the hand, Rhian can > adjust the sensitivity, contrast and frequency to obtain the best possible > signal for different conditions as she continues to practise interpreting > the signals and regaining her independence. > If the rest of the trial is successful, it's possible that this implant > could be made available on the NHS. The team also hope that one day this > technology can be applied to other eye diseases, such as age-related macular > degeneration. > You can watch her story on Trust Me, I'm a Doctor on BBC2 at 8pm on > Wednesday 6 January. > > > Celebrating Louis Braill birthday, Jan. 4th. > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > Celebrating Louis Braill birthday, Jan. 4th. Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
