Building a Prosthetic Retina

Dec-05-14 A new film able to transform light into electrical signals could eventually be used as a type of prosthetic to replace damaged retinas.

Based around lessons from the emerging field of optogenetics, which uses light to stimulate certain neurons, the flexible, wireless film was made by combining semiconductor nanorods and carbon nanotube film. By transforming visual cues to electrical signals, the film mimics the function of healthy retina cells.

The film has been successfully tested on light-insensitive retinas of embryonic chicks, but the technology still has a long way to go. However, lead researcher Yael Hanein envisions the film one day functioning as a "compact replacement for damaged retinas," when it could be used to treat macular degeneration and many types of blindness.

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