Wireless material improves outlook for artificial retinas

New progress towards a prosthetic retina could help alleviate conditions that result from problems with the retina.

A new study published in Nano Letters describes the device, tested on animal-derived retinal models, that has the potential to treat a number of eye diseases.

The proof-of-concept artificial retina was developed by a team led by Prof Yael Hamelin of Tel Aviv University’s School of Electrical Engineering and head of TAU’s Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and including researchers from TAU, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Newcastle University.

‘Compared to the technologies tested in the past, this new device is more efficient, more flexible, and can stimulate neurons more effectively,’ Prof Hanein said in a statement. ‘The new prosthetic is compact, unlike previous designs that used wires or metals while attempting to sense light. Additionally, the new material is capable of higher spatial resolution, whereas older designs struggled in this area.’