Artificial retina made from biocompatible graphene

Graphene is thin, transparent and has a tensile strength greater than that of steel. In addition, it is a better conductor of electricity compared to copper; and, since it comprises a single layer of carbon atoms, it is considered two-dimensional.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Jose A. Garrido at the Walter Schottky Institut of the TUM is taking advantage of these properties to develop components of an artificial retina made of graphene.  They are joined by colleagues from the Institut de la Vision of the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris and the French company Pixium Vision.

Retina implants can serve as optical prostheses for blind people whose optical nerves are still intact.

The implants convert incident light into electrical impulses that are transmitted to the brain via the optical nerve. There, the information is transformed into images.

Although various approaches for implants exist today, the devices are often rejected by the body and the signals transmitted to the brain are generally not optimal.