Retina Micro-Chip Implant
Research | General Research | Retina Micro-Chip Implant
Human clinical trials have successfully given patients an impression of vision when a tiny micro-electronic chip has been implanted directly under the retina of blind patients, replacing the photoreceptor cells.
The new devices work by implanting an array of tiny electrodes into the back of the retina. A camera is used to capture pictures, and a processing unit, about the size of a small handheld computer and worn on a belt, converts the visual information into electrical signals.
These are then sent back to the glasses and wirelessly on to a receiver just under the surface of the front of the eye, which in turn feeds them to the electrodes at the rear. The whole process happens in real time. Initially the implants have given totally blind patients the ability to distinguish dark shapes and interpret visual information that helps them to navigate better. Higher resolution devices are about to be trialled in 50-75 patients in the U.S.