Microchip hope for Stevie Wonder's sight
By Harry Mount in New York
(Filed: 06/10/2005)
Stevie Wonder has been tested for pioneering surgery which uses a microchip to restore sight to the blind.
The 55-year-old singer, who has been blind since shortly after birth, is in talks with a leading surgeon who has developed a technique to implant a solar-powered microchip at the back of his eye. If successful, the sight recovery would be limited and he would not be able to see the faces of his wife and children, but he would be able to perceive simple forms and shapes.
He suffers from retinitis pigmentosa which he contracted shortly after birth, when he was given too much oxygen in an incubator.
Wonder has undergone preliminary talks with Dr Mark Humayun, at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
NOW THIS IS BIG NEWS imagine if every blind person could have an oportunity to see again!
