back to article Stanford boffins create light-powered artificial retina

A group of researchers led by Stanford University has created a prosthetic retina that works without an external power source. Instead, by combining a light sensor with photovoltaics, the implant is driven by light. Since ambient light doesn’t provide enough power, the system pulses the implant with infrared light from goggles …

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  1. Esskay
    Coat

    Brings new meaning to the term "Retina Display"...

  2. Neil Barnes Silver badge

    10mW/mm^2?

    That's ten times the limit for a class one laser... and staring straight into the sun comes out at only about 70mW/mm^2.

    1. Filippo Silver badge

      Re: 10mW/mm^2?

      But it's infrared, so it's too low-frequency to be picked up by the eye's receptors. I suspect that means the eye is a lot less sensitive to it compared to visible light.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 10mW/mm^2?

      OMFG! You're right!

      People using this technology could be BLINDED!!!!!

    3. Ru
      Boffin

      Re: 10mW/mm^2?

      Sure, that sort of intensity wouldn't do an organic retina much good but, y'know, it isn't projecting on to one of those. The non-light sensitive bits of your eye are made of sterner stuff that the retina, too.

      There are plenty of other bits of the eye that can be damaged, and it would be a bit crap for a device that is intended to replace your sight to become useless after a couple of weeks because it gave you cataracts.

      1. Yesnomaybe

        Re: 10mW/mm^2?

        The article states clearly: "the system pulses the implant with infrared light from goggles"

        "Pulses"

        So the average energy delivered will be less than peak energy.

  3. mamsey
    Coat

    Oh come on...

    Geordi La Forge has had these for years.

    1. Ragarath

      Re: Oh come on...

      I was going to come on and mention Geordi, you beat me to it. I hope this leads to something positive even if it takes many years. I know of people that would love to be able to see again.

    2. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
      Joke

      "Steve Austin, a man barely alive"

      You could go further back.

  4. Pet Peeve
    Boffin

    178 pixels per square mm

    It's a bit preliminary to write about this when so far the only emplanted eye is ONE pixel...

    If I'm doing the math right, the projected density of 178 pixels / sq mm is over 300dpi. Not too shabby, but since the retina is something like 128 megapixels (going by the distribution of rods and cones), they've still got some work to do.

  5. Jess--

    next step

    obvious additions to the goggles that are preprocessing and projecting the image

    night vision... zoom... TV (picture in picture naturally)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: next step

      Come on, you missed Airport Scanner mode, why let the airport security pervs have all the fun ;-)

  6. John 62

    I fail to see the usefulness

    You need goggles, which I presume are powered. Aren't there already systems don't need goggles and merely use a magnetically held battery behind the ear to induce power?

    1. Matthew Shaw

      Re: I fail to see the usefulness

      You're right there is, but the point of beaming IR into the eye to provide both image and power to the receiver, means that this new system requires less surgery - less things to go wrong

  7. Martin Maloney
    Coat

    Biblical justice

    Yes, folks -- an eye for an eye.

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