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. --- 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 --- 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