Researchers at the University of Sydney are developing a printable artificial retina that could one day restore vision to blind people. Dr. Matthew Griffith from the Australian Center for Microscopy and Microanalysis has developed an electrical device made from multicolored carbon-based semiconductors. It uses absorbed light to fire the neurons, which then send signals to the brainEyes transferred. The invention is now intended to act as an artificial retina for those who have lost this ability.
Newly invented artificial retina against eye diseases
The retina is the thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye and receives light, converts it into neural signals, and sends those signals to the brain for processing. At least 2.2 billion people worldwide live with visual impairment. This new research aims to provide a biomedical solution for people suffering from blindness and age-related macular degeneration. The latter is one of the main causes of blindness worldwide. The study leader hopes to apply this technology as a type of neural interface to restore sensory function to people with spinal cord injuries. In addition, this technology enables people withto treat neurodegenerative diseases. A neural interface is a device that interacts with a person's nervous system to record or stimulate activity. Similar technologies are being intensively developed, although this device differs in that it is made of carbon. This is the same building block as human cells, says Dr. Griffith.
The research team plans to print the water-based artificial retina, which also contains nerve growth factors, onto soft and flexible surfaces. A surgeon should then be able to insert the device into the affected area of the patient. Once the relevant neurons reconnect to it, the retina regains its lost functionality as it absorbs light. Another key difference is that the reinvention does not require electricity - it is powered internally by light from the outside world. If the project is successful, the device will help solve one of the great scientific challenges of the 21st century: communicating with the human body's sensory network. The inventors hope to achieve this using only light, opening up some really exciting prospects for the future of bioelectronics.
