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]