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New Retinal Implants May Grant Artificial Vision to the Blind
The research has not been tested on humans yet as getting the necessary permits is a complex process.
Science & Tech
A new form of retinal implant may finally give vision to the blind. The research is being led by Diego Ghezzi, who holds the Medtronic Chair in Neuroengineering (LNE) at EPFL's School of Engineering.
The novel retinal implant works with camera-equipped smart glasses and a microcomputer and uses electrodes to stimulate retinal cells. The way it works is actually quite ingenious.
The camera in the smart glasses takes images and sends the data to a microcomputer located in one of the eyeglasses' end-pieces. This microcomputer then transforms that data into light signals.
Electrodes in the retinal implant then use these light signals to stimulate the retina. The person then sees a black-and-white version of the image made up of dots of light.
"It's like when you look at stars in the night sky — you can learn to recognize specific constellations. Blind patients would see something similar with our system," Ghezzi told SciTechDaily.