The Solar Powered Eye Implant for the Blind

There are many kinds of blindness and there is always ongoing research to help the blind see. Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new artificial retina implant which uses solar power to help the blind see.

Earlier implants had a major limitation – there was no way to power the chip inside. The researchers came up with an environmentally friendly solution: using miniature photovoltaic cells to provide power to the chip as well as to transmit data through the eye to the brain. The new device has great promise to help people afflicted by the loss of photoreceptor cells by using the power of the sun.

This is not just a simple implant, it is a whole system which utilizes an external video camera that captures images, a pocket pc to process the video feed, and a bright near-infrared LCD display built into video goggles, which transmit infrared light pulses to the photovoltaic device in the eye. The light pulses then produce electricity in the device, which transmits data through the eye so the brain can process it into a hazy picture.

There will be no 20/20 vision, however. The vision will be 20/100 which will enable a person to read very large print and recognize people.

Category: Health, New Developments