Solar-powered implants combat blindness in rats
A solar-powered retinal implant has been developed which is capable of sending visual signals to the brains of rats.
The study, conducted by physicists and ophthalmologists at Stanford University, used a pre-existing wireless photovoltaic retinal prosthesis (which roughly translates as 'solar-powered bionic eye') to stimulate the rats' retinal neurons and monitor how their brains reacted.
The team found that brain activity associated with the transmission of visual information returned to normal in rats with macular degeneration -- a condition which gradually causes a loss of central vision.
The technology is also scaleable, with the potential for offering better resolution in future iterations. According to the researchers, the results offer "a promising approach to restoration of sight in patients blinded by retinal degenerative diseases."
The study, Cortical responses elicited by photovoltaic subretinal prostheses exhibit similarities to visually evoked potentials, is published in the journal Nature Communications.