02-17-2022, 11:21 PM
Second Sight left users of its retinal implants in the dark
These three patients, and more than 350 other blind people around the world with Second Sight’s implants in their eyes, find themselves in a world in which the technology that transformed their lives is just another obsolete gadget. One technical hiccup, one broken wire, and they lose their artificial vision, possibly forever. To add injury to insult: A defunct Argus system in the eye could cause medical complications or interfere with procedures such as MRI scans, and it could be painful or expensive to remove.
Neural implants—devices that interact with the human nervous system, either on its periphery or in the brain—are part of a rapidly growing category of medicine that’s sometimes called electroceuticals. Some technologies are well established, like deep-brain stimulators that reduce tremors in people with Parkinson’s disease. But recent advances in neuroscience and digital technology have sparked a gold rush in brain tech, with the outsized investments epitomized by Elon Musk’s buzzy brain-implant company, Neuralink. Some companies talk of reversing depression, treating Alzheimer’s disease, restoring mobility, or even dangle the promise of superhuman cognition.
Not all these companies will succeed, and Los Angeles–based Second Sight provides a cautionary tale for bold entrepreneurs interested in brain tech. What happens when cutting-edge implants fail, or simply fade away like yesterday’s flip phones and Betamax? Even worse, what if the companies behind them go bust?
https://spectrum.ieee.org/bionic-eye-obsolete
![[Image: two-headshots-side-by-side-show-at-left-...eight=2474]](https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/two-headshots-side-by-side-show-at-left-a-man-wearing-bulky-sunglasses-with-a-wire-attached-to-the-frame-and-at-right-a-woman-whose-face-is-half-in-shadow-info-for-editor-if-needed-ross-doerr-and-barbara-campbell.jpg?id=29309307&width=3500&height=2474)
These three patients, and more than 350 other blind people around the world with Second Sight’s implants in their eyes, find themselves in a world in which the technology that transformed their lives is just another obsolete gadget. One technical hiccup, one broken wire, and they lose their artificial vision, possibly forever. To add injury to insult: A defunct Argus system in the eye could cause medical complications or interfere with procedures such as MRI scans, and it could be painful or expensive to remove.
Neural implants—devices that interact with the human nervous system, either on its periphery or in the brain—are part of a rapidly growing category of medicine that’s sometimes called electroceuticals. Some technologies are well established, like deep-brain stimulators that reduce tremors in people with Parkinson’s disease. But recent advances in neuroscience and digital technology have sparked a gold rush in brain tech, with the outsized investments epitomized by Elon Musk’s buzzy brain-implant company, Neuralink. Some companies talk of reversing depression, treating Alzheimer’s disease, restoring mobility, or even dangle the promise of superhuman cognition.
Not all these companies will succeed, and Los Angeles–based Second Sight provides a cautionary tale for bold entrepreneurs interested in brain tech. What happens when cutting-edge implants fail, or simply fade away like yesterday’s flip phones and Betamax? Even worse, what if the companies behind them go bust?
https://spectrum.ieee.org/bionic-eye-obsolete
![[Image: family-guy.gif]](https://c.tenor.com/sGEGE_3BeTcAAAAM/family-guy.gif)
![[Image: aa18eacc735ae13150854056df73bde61bd78a1a...32c4_1.jpg]](https://imageproxy.ifunny.co/crop:x-20,resize:640x,quality:90x75/images/aa18eacc735ae13150854056df73bde61bd78a1a08a13b172f03bff8f38532c4_1.jpg)
