Their Bionic Eyes Are Now Obsolete and Unsupported
spectrum.ieee.org
These early adopters found out what happened when a cutting-edge marvel became an obsolete gadget... inside their bodies.

TL;DR: Disability tech company working on eye implants goes bankrupt and shuts down without telling any of their patients or having any continued support or maintenance for the implants. As a result, many of their patients are now without vision again. Their $500k eye implants can't be removed without risking their health, but also can cause adverse effects if left in, and also prevent patients from getting MRIs for brain tumors and such.

  • Tofu_Lewis [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    There was a heartbreaking story in the New Yorker a while back about some people in Australia who got neural implants that would warn them when they were about to have a seizure, which allowed them to lead more fulfilling lives (because they could prepare for their seizures). The company that provided technical support for the implants went under and the recipients had to be told that they would now be back to having severe seizures without warning.

    Shit's fucked up.