Second Sight Argus II: Allen Zderad can see wife again after 10 years with help of a bionic eye

Allen Zderad from Minnesota is now able to see his wife again after ten years of being blind due to a bionic eye.

The 68-year-old man started having serious vision problems around 20 years ago due to a condition known as retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease which affects the retina.

Allen Zderad, who worked as a chemist when, was declared effectively blind a decade ago.

The man continued his hobby of woodwork by developing his sense of touch and spatial relationships.

Mayo Clinic researcher and ophthalmologist Dr. Raymond Iezzi Jr. had been working on the Second Sight Argus II retinal prosthesis system when he reached out to Allen Zderad.

Dr. Raymond Iezzi Jr. considered Allen Zderad a suitable candidate for a bionic implant.

During the process, the ophthalmologist fitted 60 electrodes into Allen Zderad’s eye.

The electrodes work by interacting with a special camera attached to the patient’s glasses and a separate computer pack capable of sending information to the electrodes embedded in Allen Zderad’s retina, which then sends signals straight to the optic nerve.

After implant, Allen Zderad, a grandfather of ten, explains that he can’t make out detail, but he can now make out shapes and outlines.

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