Australia reveals prototype ”bionic” eye

MELBOURNE: Australia unveiled a prototype bionic eye designed to restore sight to those with failing vision which supporters hope could be the biggest breakthrough since the Braille alphabet.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, whose government committed 42 million dollars (almost 39 million US) to the project, said the device could be “one of the most important medical advances we see in our lifetime”.

“The bionic eye project will keep Australia at the forefront of bionic research and commercialisation and has the potential to restore sight to thousands of people in Australia and across the world,” he said.

The device, part of which is surgically implanted in the eye, is designed for patients suffering from degenerative vision loss caused by the genetic condition retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration.

It consists of a miniature camera, mounted on glasses, that captures images and sends them to a processor the wearer keeps in their pocket.

The processor then transmits a signal wirelessly to a unit implanted in the eye which will directly stimulate surviving neurons in the retina, signalling an image to the brain.

Those using the bionic eye will not have perfect vision restored, but it is hoped they will be able to perceive points of light in their field of vision which the brain can then reconstruct into an image.

Research director of Bionic Vision Australia, the university and research institute partnership which has produced the prototype, Professor Anthony Burkitt said the device could change people”s lives.

“We anticipate that this retinal implant will provide users with increased mobility and independence, and that future versions of the implant will eventually allow recipients to recognise faces and read large print,” he said.

Kevin Murfitt, chairman of the country”s biggest service for the blind and visually impaired Vision Australia, said the bionic eye “will be the next big remarkable invention”.

“This is truly a revolution and will be the biggest thing in terms of blindness and low vision since Louis Braille invented the Braille alphabet over 200 years ago,” he told ABC radio.

The bionic eye is undergoing tests ahead of the first human implant in 2013.

Snowstorms hit Britain

LONDON: Hundreds of people have been rescued from their cars and thousands of homes are without power after blizzards blanketed parts of northern Britain.

Snowstorms and strong winds have hit many parts of Scotland, with more snow, gale force winds and torrential rain wreaking havoc across Northern Ireland.

In Londonderry, police said around 300 people had to be rescued from their vehicles which became stranded in snow, including a bus carrying 20 schoolchildren.

About 48,000 homes in the province have lost power after high winds brought down electricity lines and poles, following weather-related power cuts for up to 20,000 households across Scotland.

Winds topped 60mph and up to 10ins of snow settled across Northern Ireland and Scotland , paralysing roads, closing rail lines and cancelling ferry sailings.

Oil Prices Slightly Fell in Asia

KUALA LUMPUR: Oil prices fell slightly Wednesday in Asia amid a surprise rise in U.S. weekly crude inventory ahead of the release of government data.

Benchmark crude for February delivery was down 10 cents to $78.77 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract added 10 cents to settle at $78.87 on Tuesday.

Oil has gained for five straight days but traded lower early Wednesday after the American Petroleum Institute reported an increase of 1.725 million barrels in U.S. inventories last week, said Clarence Chu, a trader with Hudson Capital Energy in Singapore.

The rise contradicted market expectations of a drop of 2 million barrels and all eyes are now on the Energy Information Administration weekly data due to be released later Wednesday, he said. The more comprehensive EIA data last week showed crude stocks were down 4.9 million barrels.

Futures contracts for oil, natural gas and heating oil have all become more expensive this month as snow storms blanketed parts of the U.S. and a sharp drop in supplies of crude and other fuels surprised traders.

Despite the year-end rally, analysts have said that oil prices may fall next month as current levels were unsustainable.

In other Nymex trading in January contracts, heating oil rose 0.1 cent to $2.1038 gallon while gasoline added 0.24 cent to $2.013 a gallon.

In London, Brent crude for February delivery fell 4 cents to $77.60 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

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Oil Prices Slightly Fell in Asia was first posted on December 30, 2009 at 6:14 pm.