by Zaara Abbas / May 29, 2024
Scientists have made an exciting advancement that could pave the way for more effective vision implants to help restore sight for the blind. Researchers from Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands have developed an incredibly tiny implant containing electrodes that are the size of a single neuron. What makes this implant truly groundbreaking is its unique combination of being extremely small yet able to remain intact within the body over long periods of time. This solves a major challenge faced by current vision implant technology.
When parts of the eye are damaged causing blindness, the visual cortex in the brain is often still functioning and able to receive visual input. This implant aims to stimulate the visual cortex by sending electrical pulses, with each tiny electrode acting like a pixel to create an image. While this artificial vision won't provide the crisp, vibrant images that someone with full sight experiences, it can potentially allow the person to visually perceive bright spots and shapes. The more electrodes on the implant, the more detailed the constructed image can be.
A key hurdle previous implants faced was dealing with corrosion from the metals used to conduct electrical signals. Since this new implant is extremely small, with metal components only a few hundred nanometers thick, any corrosion would quickly render it useless. The researchers cleverly combined an electrically conducting polymer that transmits the required signals to the neurons, while also forming a protective plastic-like coating to prevent corrosion of the metals. This material blend allows the implant to remain functional long-term within the humid environment of the body.
While this implant currently contains electrodes in just a single row, the plan is to develop versions with thousands of interconnected electrodes to create more high-resolution artificial vision. Animal trials demonstrated this implant's ability to consistently stimulate the visual cortex over extended periods.
This tiny, powerful, and corrosion-resistant implant represents a major step toward delivering safe, long-lasting vision implants that can drastically improve the quality of life for many blind individuals in the future. The research continues as scientists work to turn this innovative technology into a practical clinical reality.
Citations:
Chalmers University Of Technology. (2024, May 16). New Breakthrough paves the way for vision implants that can restore sight. SciTechDaily. https://scitechdaily.com/new-breakthrough-paves-the-way-for-vision-implants-that-can-restore-sight/
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