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More than 50,000 Australians suffer from severe vision loss, and blindness has a profound effect on the quality of life for sufferers and their families. To help improve the lives of sufferers, researchers from the University of Melbourne have joined Bionic Vision Australia (BVA), a national consortium of retinal surgeons, vision clinicians, neuroscientists, biomedical and electrical engineers working together to develop an advanced bionic eye.

BVA was launched at the University of Melbourne by Prime Minster Kevin Rudd this week, where the consortium also unveiled their prototype bionic eye, a wide-view neurostimulator concept.

For more information about the project and Bionic Vision Australia (BVA) go to:
http://www.bionicvision.org.au/

Credits

Produced by Emma ONeill
Camera by Clive Banfield
Editing by Rob Cross, Corporate Video

With special thanks to:
NICTA for the provision of additional footage
Leighton Boyd President of Retina Australia (VIC) & sufferer of Retinitis Pigmentosa
Centre For Eye Research Australia (CERA) & the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH) for their assistance with filming

© The University of Melbourne, 2010. All rights reserved.