An ophthalmologist founded Gain Sight, Inc. earlier this year to develop an affordable, non-surgical device that uses transcranial magnetic stimulation to produce images in the brain and restore vision to the blind. The founder and principal investigator has assembled a core team of three - himself, an electrical engineer, and a neuroscientist who is also his son - as well as consultants around the world to help develop a prototype that could enable the blind to see again for an estimated total cost of $1 million.

1. I
have
been
an
ophthalmologist
for
27
years,
treating
eye
diseases
and
preventing
blindness.
Too
often
I
failed
and
had
to
tell
patients
that
there
was
nothing
more
we
could
do
for
them
except
refer
them
to
a
low
vision
specialist,
the
hospice
of
eye
care.
Close
your
eyes.
That
is
what
it
is
like
to
be
blind.
There
are
over
20
million
blind
in
the
United
States
today.
This
number
is
increasing
by
more
than
600,000
annually.
I
want
the
blind
to
see
again.
Gain
Sight,
Inc.
began
earlier
this
year.
I
am
the
founder
and
principal
investigator.
Gain
Sight’s
mission
is
to
develop
an
affordable,
non-­‐surgical,
high
resolution,
vision
restorative
device,
enabling
the
blind
to
see
again.
Gain
Sight
has
a
core
team
of
three
-­‐
myself;
an
electrical
engineer,
John
Lombardo;
and
a
neuroscientist,
Daniel
Blustein,
my
son.
In
addition,
Gain
Sight
has
a
growing
cadre
of
consultants
from
around
the
world,
experts
in
their
field.
The
artificial
vision
device,
currently
under
development,
will
utilize
transcranial
magnetic
stimulation
over
the
visual
cortex
to
produce
images
in
the
brain,
enabling
the
blind
to
see.
Depending
upon
funding,
the
prototype
will
be
completed
within
2
years.
Cost
estimates
to
create
the
prototype
is
$500,000
and
another
$500,000
for
marketing
and
production.