Media Release

17 April 2012
Bionic Vision Australia today officially welcomes the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital as a supporting participant and clinical partner of the bionic eye project.

Ms Jan Boxall, Board Chair of the Eye and Ear Hospital said: “The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital is delighted to be part of the consortium. As the home of the bionic ear, we have a proud history in bionics. Now, with the BVA partnership, the Eye and Ear continues to be at the forefront of research and clinical application.”

Prof David Penington, Chairman of Bionic Vision Australia, said:  “The partnership with the Eye and Ear Hospital is of critical importance to our project. The work of everybody here is vital to the success of the bionic eye development.“

This partnership agreement marks a significant milestone as researchers, surgeons and clinicians work towards testing the bionic eye with patients at the Eye and Ear Hospital.

The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital is home to the Centre for Eye Research Australia, also part of the bionic eye consortium.  Over the last few years, CERA’s clinicians and surgeons  have been screening patients to learn more about the structure and function of the eye under retinal degeneration and to develop safe surgical techniques for inserting the retinal implant.

Bionic Vision Australia brings together a wide range of experts, from vision scientists, ophthalmologists and retinal surgeons to neuroscientists, materials scientists, biomedical and electrical engineers. The goal of the project is to develop a  retinal implant, or bioninc eye, capable of restoring a sense of vision to people with profound blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa  and age-related macular degeneration.