Vision on a chip

Several physicists are collaborating with medical scientists to create retinal implants that would allow blind people to live more independent lives. The retinal implants can help in the treatment of many diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa that causes molecular degeneration, reducing vision in the center of the visual field, usually in older people and a loss of peripheral vision. Optobionics, a company in Illinois has developed a subretinal chip, 2 mm in diameter and contains 5000 solar cells, and is connected to its own electrode and then stimulates the retinal neurons. Optobionics' chip is use to improve the vision of partially sighted persons, and can restore some sight to the completely blind persons. Researchers from Glasgow University, as well as from the Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, are also developing a retinal implant based on the semiconductor devices used in particle detectors.