President's Page...

by Neil Appleby

This column will be my last as your national president. It has been quite a ride! Let me sketch some of my activities of the past three months.

BVA on Capitol Hill

In early March, our BVA Legislative Committee literally "marched" the halls of Congress. Much of our advocacy included educating new representatives and their staffs to the unique needs of blinded veterans. We also ask you, our members, to become conversant on the Bush Administration’s proposed 2006 budget for veterans. It is a very austere budget.
After presenting our oral testimony before Congress on Thursday of that week, I chaired my penultimate (second-to-the-last) Board of Directors meeting the following two days.

New Technology and "Wounds of War"

In mid-March, we were invited to attend a "Wounds of War" seminar in Providence, Rhode Island. The seminar was a collaborative effort of VA Rehabilitation Research and Development and Brown University. We learned of the many new technological devices being used in surgery, prosthetics, and treatment of mental disorders.

Most interesting was the use of virtual reality in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Also, while in New England, I visited with Dr. Joe Rizzo at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. Dr. Rizzo leads a team of researchers doing retinal implants. His approach to implantation is different from that of other researchers. Dr. Rizzo puts the chip and a coil of wires behind the eye to stimulate the optic nerve with an external electrical signal. I held one such chip in my hand.

As in all research, progress is slow. The Food and Drug Administration monitors every step. Patient safety is paramount. Dr. Rizzo believes they are several years away from receiving approval for the next generation of implants.

Second Sight

In mid-April, Executive Director Tom Miller, two VA program managers, and I were invited to visit Second Sight in Los Angeles. Second Sight is a research and manufacturing company that has implanted six retinal chips. We met and visited with two of the research subjects. Both are completely blind from Retinitis Pigmentosa. We witnessed a 57-year old male veteran being able to identify light bars being projected on a screen. He could identify the movement as being horizontal, vertical, left to right, and up to down. Amazing!

Second Sight was founded by inventor/philanthropist Alfred Mann. Among Mr. Mann’s developments is the cochlear implant. Borrowing from the already proven cochlear technology, Second Sight implants a chip behind the ear and threads the fiber optic circuitry under the skin of the skull. It is then tacked to the front of the retina. The patient wears unobtrusive-looking spectacles with a video camera mounted in the bridge of the nose. The video image is transmitted to a control box worn in a fanny pack. The box converts the image and transmits it to the implanted chip. The patient is able to identify gross objects, both indoor and outdoor. I wore a simulator and was able to identify lights and arm movements of a man standing nearby. Understandably this initial version is very basic. The fact that it works at all is miraculous. They call it ultra-low vision.

Animal model testing for the next generation of the chip has been completed. Irish Setter dogs, bred in Honeybrook, Pennsylvania, are often affected by Retinitis Pigmentosa and are the test animals. Second Sight is awaiting FDA approval to move on. They expect to implant 50-100 patients in the next phase of their research. For more information on Mr. Mann and Second Sight, visit: www.aemf.org and www.2-sight.com.

A Fond Farewell

As we make preparations to attend the 60th National Convention of BVA, I am reminded that our first National President, Ray Frey, was also a Pennsylvanian. Who will be next to step up to the plate? It certainly has been my honor and privilege to represent you these past two years. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. God bless you and your families. Ciao!