Artificial 2D retina show potential for sight restoration and health monitoring

The researchers from University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) and Seoul National University presented their work on August 20, 2018 at the 256th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

"This is the first demonstration that you can use few-layer graphene and molybdenum disulphide to successfully fabricate an artificial retina," said Nanshu Lu, an associate professor at UT Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering. "Although this research is still in its infancy, it is a very exciting starting point for the use of these materials to restore vision.”

Located at the rear of the eye, the retina contains photoreceptor cells that convert incoming light into nerve signals that are sent to the brain via the optic nerve. Macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa can damage or destroy retinal tissue, leading to vision loss or complete blindness.