Bionic eye powered by light invented by scientists of Stanford University

A which is powered by light has been invented by scientists at in California.

Implants currently used in patients need to be powered by a battery.

The new device, described in the journal Nature Photonics, uses a special pair of glasses to beam near infrared light into the eye.

This powers the implant and sends the information which could help a patient see.

Diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and retinal pigmentosa result in the death of cells which can detect light in the eye.

Eventually this leads to blindness.

A bionic eye which is powered by light has been invented by scientists at Stanford University in California photo

A bionic eye which is powered by light has been invented by scientists at Stanford University in California

Retinal implants stimulate the nerves in the back of the eye, which has helped some patients to see.

Early results of a trial in the UK mean two men have gone from being totally blind to being able to perceive light and even some shapes.

However, as well as a fitting a chip behind the retina, a battery needs to be fitted behind the ear and a cable needs to join the two together.

The Stanford researchers say their method could be a step forward by “eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring”.

A , which works in a similar way to a solar panel, is fitted in the back of the eye.

A pair of glasses fitted with a video camera records what is happening before a patient’s eyes and fires beams of near infrared light on to the retinal chip.

The creates an electrical signal which is passed on to nerves.

Natural light is 1,000 times too weak to power the implant.

The researchers said: “Because the photovoltaic implant is thin and wireless, the surgical procedure is much simpler than in other retinal prosthetic approaches.

“Such a fully integrated wireless implant promises the restoration of useful vision to patients blinded by degenerative retinal diseases.”

The implant has not been tested in people, but has been shown to work in rats.

 

A first of its kind technology, first bionic eye Argus II was already approved for use in Europe in 2011 and is the culmination of 20 years of scientific research into the delicate and deeply complex sight organArgus II Retinal Prosthesis System: first bionic eye awaits FDA approval Skin cells converted into brain components at Stanford University The wafer-thin, 3 mm square microelectronic chip has 1,500 light-sensitive pixels which take over the function of the photoreceptor rods and conesSuccessful electronic retina implants in UK Cricket tycoon Allen Stanford has been found guilty by a court in Houston, Texas, of running a $7 billion Ponzi schemeAllen Stanford convicted of $7 billion fraud in a Ponzi scheme British researchers have reported that totally blind mice have had their sight restored by injections of light-sensing cells into the eyeTotally blind mice have their sight restored by injections of light-sensing cells into the eye Solar Impulse, a solar-powered plane, has landed in Rabat, Morocco, after flying from Spain, completing the second leg of its pioneering journeySolar Impulse, solar-powered plane, lands in Rabat after flying from Spain Allen Stanford has been sentenced to 110 years in jail for operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of more than $7 billionAllen Stanford sentenced to 110 years in jail for $7 billion Ponzi scheme Local diner the Rite Spot in Pasadena, California, has claimed that it was in its kitchen that the cheeseburger was first invented, in the late 1920sCheeseburger was accidentally invented in Rite Spot diner in Pasadena
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Posted by on May 14 2012. Filed under Health, Science & Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.

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