Many fantastic works paint us pictures of the future, in which bionic parts of the body measure the real for a person. Sometimes it seems that this will not come to our world soon, but this is not at all the case. So, the Canadian company Ocumetics Technology Corporation is currently conducting clinical trials of the Bionic Lens device, which can replace glasses and contact lenses. Moreover, if desired, the bionic lens can be ordered now.
Bionic Lens is a kind of implant that replaces the lens of the eye. "Installation" of this implant is practically no different from the operation of installing an artificial lens, the technique of which is well developed. After implantation, the lens corrects any visual abnormalities not associated with retinal damage. Thus, Bionic Lens is a kind of "dynamic" lens, installed inside the eye, capable of self-adjusting in case of changes in human vision. This is due to the fact that the Bionic Lens is connected to the ciliary muscle, which makes it possible to focus at different distances. It is noteworthy that, according to the developers, the focusing range is much wider than that of a conventional lens, and 100 times less energy is spent on the operation of a bionic lens. That is, the muscle that controls the lenspractically will not get tired.
But that's not all! Using Bionic Lens, a person will be able to focus on small objects (such as a license plate) at a distance of up to 30 meters without strain on the eyes. And if you start looking at your own finger, then, according to the developers, you can distinguish the smallest patterns that form fingerprints. In the future, the implant can be modified and, for example, displayed on the screen of an external device. According to project manager and inventor of Bionic Lens Garth Webb,
“At the moment, the only drawback of the lens is only its absence, as it will provide huge advantages to its owner. But seriously, a bionic lens is not a panacea in the treatment of eye diseases. It will not be able to get rid of color blindness, myopathy, retinal diseases and damage to the optic nerve. But it will help the “owners” of myopia and hyperopia to get rid of glasses and contact lenses forever without resorting to the most complicated operations."
If the Bionic Lens successfully passes clinical trials, it will go into service with surgeons in the next 2 years. The price of the device was also announced: $ 3200 per unit. The cost of the operation is not included in the price.
Vladimir Kuznetsov
