Jeroen Perk is one of the many blind men that have continually tried to fight blindness, especially from an early age. That was unsuccessful, until a new eye implant named Argus II has been invented. This bionic eye by Second Sight is so impressive that literally makes things a lot easier for all patients as they can sense and see the world around them in a much better fashion.
This particular bionic eye definitely requires some getting used to, but the results are more than impressive in this regard, because Jeroen Perk for example has started to tackle sports like archery for example, something that would be virtually impossible for a blind man. Yes, things that were unthinkable before the surgery are now possible for Jeroen Perk, and that’s an amazing achievement in the world of engineering, that’s for sure.
This wasn’t a simple process for Jeroen Perk, but considering how much he had to battle for his own life all these years, the bionic implant has definitely managed to change his life in a better fashion. There are less things he is frightened of and the simple idea of having to deal with a prosthesis didn’t scare him even one bit, that’s for sure.
Dealing with the genetic disease Retinitis Pigmentosa is a lot easier for him now, and everything has changed in his life, that’s for sure, mainly thanks to the bionic implant. The success of this implant will surely improve as time passes, as more and more persons with retinal problems are adhering to this solution! Life is changing in amazing way for them, and all thanks to the wonderful technologies now at use.
History of Second Sight:
Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., located in Sylmar, California, was founded in 1998 by Mr. Alfred Mann, Dr. Sam Williams and Gunnar Bjorg with the goal of creating a retinal prosthesis to provide sight to subjects blinded from outer retinal degenerations, such as retinitis pigmentosa. Second Sight currently employs over 85 employees and has a European office in Lausanne, Switzerland. The first clinical trial (Argus I) began in 2002 (6 subjects in total). With the experience gained from the Argus I trial, and further technological developments, a second generation device was created – the Argus II. For this device, a two-patient pilot study was initiated in Mexico in 2006, followed by a 30-patient trial in 10 centers across Europe and the United States.
YouTube: Blind Man Skiis Thanks to Argus II
Photo credit: Pascale Communications / Second Sight
