China Focus: Retinal implant offers hope for blind, extends vision to infrared

Xinhua

6th June 2023

China Focus: Retinal implant offers hope for blind, extends vision to infrared

A team of Chinese scientists has unveiled a revolutionary retinal implant that may not only restore sight to the blind but also grant them the ability to see infrared light, a spectrum beyond normal human sight.

The study, published on Friday in the journal Science, demonstrates how a mesh of ultra-thin tellurium nanowires can replace damaged photoreceptors in a blind mouse's eye, and convert near-infrared light into electrical signals that the macaque brain, a non-human primate model, can interpret as vision.

The new technology's feasibility and strong safety profile mark a milestone in the development of artificial vision, which could prove invaluable to 200 million patients worldwide who are living with blindness or retinal disease.

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