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Stevie Wonder is hoping that a new, pioneering form of eye surgery can restore the sight that he lost at birth. The musician says he hopes to undergo an operation to receive an intraocular retinal prosthesis, or IRP, a device that harnesses the powers of microtechnology to revitalize vision in the blind.
During the experimental procedure -- which has been performed on just a handful of patients in the United States on an experimental basis -- a microchip is inserted into the retina, the layer of cells at the back of the eye that converts light patterns into nerve impulses that travel to the brain. Any retina cells that have not been completely degenerated by disease are stimulated by the chip into functioning again. Images are transported to the chip via a camera that converts the external images into a series of electronic signals. The camera is mounted on a frame that the patient wears like eyeglasses.
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