Ignatiev’s artificial retina has overcome many of the challenges faced by earlier attempts. The natural layout of the individual detectors solves another problem that plagued earlier silicon-based research: blockage of nutrient flow to the eye. “All of the nutrients feeding the eye flow from the back to the front,” says Ignatiev. “If you implant a silicon detector into the eye, nutrients can’t flow through it, and the neural cells of the eye will atrophy.” 

Scientists at John Hopkins University, MIT, and elsewhere have tried to build artificial rods and cones before, he notes. Most of these earlier efforts involved either electrode implantation into the interior of the eye or silicon-based solar cell implantation into the eye. Silicon, like any foreign substance, can be toxic to the human body and reacts unfavorably with fluids in the eye—problems the ceramic detectors do not share. 

But even space-age research is still subject to the whims of Mother Nature. Garcia, the ophthalmologist treating Boyd, was humbly reminded of such limits during his early animal experiments. Initially, he implanted ceramic detectors in 10 rabbits at the University of Texas Medical School to test for bio-compatibility. The rabbits, however, drowned along with thousands of other research animals when tropical storm Allison hit in 2001, dropping over 35 inches of rainfall on Houston in two days. Throughout the Texas Medical Center, where the medical school is located, thousands of laboratory animals were lost along with decades of research and for many scientists, their life’s work. 

Virtual Vision is now ready to implant the nano device in retinally blind patients, an experiment Garcia expects to begin within the next few years. He plans to conduct this work in Mexico, where the cost of clinical trials is lower than in the United States, and where he has done many other research projects.

Toxicity due to low levels of lead can be subtle, and may not have shown up in their studies, he adds. In addition, the function of the device may be impaired by the formation of scar tissue around it. The next step, Foster says, should be further testing in primates. 

But Ignatiev says his team has already complied with federal regulations. “The rabbits were implanted with the artificial retinas and wore them for 24 months without any toxic effects or any other negative response,” he says. “This is the standard requirement of the Food and Drug Administration.”

After eight years of work on the artificial retina and two patents for the technology, Ignatiev and Garcia would like to proceed. “Our detectors are doing from a physics perspective what they should do,” says Ignatiev. “Is it good enough so that when in the eye they will send a signal to the brain? We don’t know. That’s what we need to find out.” 

But as Garcia admits, “This is a Model T Ford. We hope a person could see the edge of shapes and perhaps get some limited improvement in their field of vision. It will certainly not produce the kind of vision needed for reading.”