Another Successful Retinal Implant – Bionic Eyes, Here We Come

Devin Coldewey

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He has written for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts he’d like you to read: The Dangers of Externalizing Knowledge | Generation i | Surveillant Society | Choose Two | Frame Wars | The User’s Manifesto | Our Great Sin His personal website is coldewey.cc. → Learn More

Friday, November 5th, 2010

A German study has successfully implanted retina-replacement electrode arrays in a number of blind patients, allowing them to distinguish letters, words, and objects. The German team joins Australian, European, and American university teams and a number of private projects in the quest to replace the eye, though they all seem to be going about it in slightly different ways.

This German microelectrode array is quite large and dense — many arrays I’ve heard of have been as small as 10×10 or less, but this 38×40 grid may produce a decent image. It’s still black and white and takes a lot of time to get used to, but hell, it’s better than nothing.

[via MedGadget]

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