Just as photography depends on camera pixels reacting to light, vision relies on the retina performing the same function. The retina sits at the back of the human eye, and contains protein cells that convert light into electrical signals that travel through the nervous system, triggering a response from the brain, ultimately building a picture of the scene being viewed.
Until now, all artificial retinal research has used only rigid, hard materials. The new research is the first to successfully use biological, synthetic tissues, developed in a laboratory environment. The study could revolutionize the bionic implant industry and the development of new, less invasive technologies that more closely resemble human body tissues, helping to treat degenerative eye conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa.
A synthetic, soft tissue retina developed by an Oxford University student could offer fresh hope to visually impaired people.
The team in the development of a new synthetic, double layered retina which closely mimics the natural human retinal process. The retina replica consists of soft water droplets (hydrogels) and biological cell membrane proteins. Designed like a camera, the cells act as pixels, detecting and reacting to light to create a grey scale image. The author said: 'The synthetic material can generate electrical signals, which stimulate the neurons at the back of our eye just like the original retina.'
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, shows that unlike existing artificial retinal implants, the cell-cultures are created from natural, biodegradable materials and do not contain foreign bodies or living entities. In this way the implant is less invasive than a mechanical devise, and is less likely to have an adverse reaction on the body. The author added: 'The human eye is incredibly sensitive, which is why foreign bodies like metal retinal implants can be so damaging, leading to inflammation and/or scaring. But a biological synthetic implant is soft and water based, so much more friendly to the eye environment.'
This next step is vital in demonstrating how the material performs as a bionic implant.
http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2017-05-04-oxford-student-creates-first-synthetic-retina
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