Artificial Retinas

November 13th, 2014 by

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel along with Newcastle University in the UK have combined semiconductor nanorods and carbon nanotubes to create a wireless, light-sensitive, flexible film that could potentially be a replacement for a damaged retina. When they tested it with a chick retina that normally doesn’t respond to light, they found that the film absorbed light, sparking neuronal activity. This approach is fundamentally different that previous approaches, which were focused on developing an implant that could “see” light and send visual signals to a person’s brain. These previous attempts typically make use of metallic parts, cumbersome wiring, or have low resolution. In comparison, the nanomaterial-based approach appears to be durable, flexible, efficient, and is better able to stimulate neurons.

Source: ACS

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