She was the first patient to receive a brain implant that bypasses the eyes and optic nerve, and instead feeds signals directly to the visual cortex. Invented by Spanish neuroengineer Eduardo Fernandez, MD, PhD, the implant enabled Gómez to identify ceiling lights, letters, basic shapes and people. She could even play a simple computer game piped directly into her brain. For safety reasons, the prosthesis had to be removed after 6 months—a feature that Fernandez is looking to extend in future iterations of the device. MIT Technology Review.
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