Artificial Retinas

Blindness is a fact of life for more than 40 million people around the world.
However, through the use of microelectromechanical systems and
microelectronics, restored vision may one day be a possibility for those
afflicted with progressive eye diseases and disorders, because of a tiny
chip.  

Called a retinal prosthetic, the chip measures 4mm by 5mm and contains 16
electrodes that receive signals from a video camera mounted on a pair of
glasses. The chip itself is surgically implanted in the eye and covers the
retina, electrically stimulating the patient's functional retinal cells. 

The prosthetics may be useful for patients with macular degeneration, an
age-related disease that causes severe blind spots, or retinitis pigmentosa,
an inherited disorder that affects night vision and peripheral vision. 

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Artificial Eye
From: ScienCentralNews - 04/28/2005

People suffering from blindness due to the degeneration of retinal cells may
one day regain partial eyesight thanks to a new system. 

The 4x5-mm microelectronic retinal-stimulator chip, consisting of silicone
and platinum studded with 16 electrodes, gets implanted into the back of the
eye on the retina. A small, lightweight video camera mounted on a pair of
glasses takes images, converts them into tiny electrical pulses, and
wirelessly transmits them to a receiver located behind the ear. When the
electrodes stimulate the retina, that information is sent to the brain. This
"Model 1" chip has been implanted in six patients. 

Researchers are working on improving the implants to accommodate 60
electrodes and 1,000 electrodes, which might offer the ability to read or
recognize faces. 

Read the entire story at:
http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?type=article&article_id=218392534

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Visit these sites to learn more:

Doheny Retina Institute
The Doheny Retina Institute is part of the USC-affiliated Doheny Eye
Institute, and is led by the faculty of the Keck School of Medicine. The
Retina Institute is also the home to the Microsurgical Advanced Design
Laboratory (MADLAB), where bioengineers work in close collaboration with
ophthalmologists and other vision researchers to develop new surgical
innovations and devices. One such device, the retinal prosthesis, is now in
clinical trials at the Institute. 
http://www.usc.edu/hsc/doheny/

Second Sight LLC
Their mission is to develop, manufacture and market implantable visual
prosthetics to enable blind individuals to achieve greater independence. They
are currently developing the retinal prosthetic being used in the clinical
trials. 
http://www.2-sight.com/AboutUs.htm
