A team of researchers in Sweden are developing an implant that uses electrical stimulation to help people with poor eye sight and even blindness to improve vision.
Article Excerpt
A remarkably small implant, with electrodes the size of a single neuron that can also remain intact in the body over time – a unique combination that holds promise for future vision implants for the blind, has been developed by a team of researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, the University of Freiburg, and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience.
Often when a person is blind, some or part of the eye is damaged, but the visual cortex in the brain is still functioning and waiting for input. When considering brain stimulation for sight restoration, there needs to be thousands of electrodes going into an implant to build up enough information for an image. By sending electrical impulses via an implant to the visual cortex of the brain, an image can be created, and each electrode would represent one pixel.
An electrical implant to improve vision in people with blindness is not a new concept. However, the implant technology currently being explored in human patients is from the 1990s and there are several factors that need to be improved, for example, the bulky size, scarring in the brain due to their large size, materials corroding over time, and materials being too rigid.
By creating a really small electrode the size of a single neuron, researchers have the potential to fit lots of electrodes onto a single implant and build up a more detailed image for the user. The unique mix of flexible, non-corrosive materials make this a long-term solution for vision implants.
In the past, this problem has not been possible to solve. But now, the research team has created a unique mix of materials layered up together that do not corrode. This includes a conducting polymer to transduce the electrical stimulation required for the implant to work, to electrical responses in the neurons. The polymer forms a protective layer on the metal and makes the electrode much more resilient to corrosion, essentially a protective layer of plastic covering the metal.
Relevance
Implantable technology is a form of treatment that has been constantly improved upon for the last few decades. Even though not all of this technology is fully capable now, it is sure to improve dramatically in the future, and may be an essential form of treatment for many patients. This specific technology is an implant that sends electrical impulses to the brain helping the brain form images of what the patient is looking at.
I believe electrical stimulation implants hold a lot of potential for future medical innovations. This technology is able to be implanted and left in place for years without any need for upkeep. This type of treatment also requires no outside medication, relieving the patient from complications surrounding those medications, along with issues of rising drug prices and remembering to constantly take medications. This technology rather than distributing medication, stimulates natural functions within the body to increase production of hormones or stimulate organs to work a certain way.
Sources
Fry, E. (2024, June 10). Breakthrough paves the way for next generation of vision implants. Chalmers tekniska högskola. https://www.chalmers.se/en/current/news/mc2-breakthrough-paves-the-way-for-next-generation-of-vision-implants/
New Breakthrough paves the way for vision implants that can restore sight. SciTechDaily. (2024b, June 8). https://scitechdaily.com/new-breakthrough-paves-the-way-for-vision-implants-that-can-restore-sight/
