"Their study, published this summer in Science, concluded that the implant not only restored the animals' sight, but also allowed them to perceive the infrared spectrum, which is invisible to the human eye. The authors refer to this as enhanced vision and hailed the implant's ability to expand perception of vision in low light and the general range of visual sensibility."
"The tiny implant, measuring two millimeters in width and height, with a width of 0.1 millimeters, replaces damaged photoreceptors by mimicking their functions. It differs from other prostheses of the same membrane because it is constructed from tellurium nanowires, a conductive material with high light sensitivity that allows it to absorb both visible and low-energy photons, which are impossible for humans to detect. Such is the explanation of the scientist Jiayi Zhang from Fudan University in Shanghai, who participated in the study."
"By converting that light into spontaneous electrical signs transmitted by the brain, the prosthesis imitates and amplifies the function of the natural photoreceptors, managing to restore vision in cases of retinal degeneration and extend the range of visual sensitivity beyond the norm. The blind rats and macaques who were implanted with the nanoprosthesis recovered pupil reflexes and recognized geometric patterns. In addition, they showed neural activity in the visual cortex when exposed to light with wavelengths of up to 1,550 nanometers."
A tiny retinal implant measuring two millimeters across and 0.1 millimeters thick replaces damaged photoreceptors by mimicking their functions. The device uses tellurium nanowires with high light sensitivity to absorb visible and low-energy photons, including infrared wavelengths beyond human photoreceptor sensitivity. By converting absorbed light into spontaneous electrical signals transmitted to the brain, the implant imitates and amplifies photoreceptor function to restore vision in retinal degeneration. Implanted blind rats and macaques recovered pupil reflexes, recognized geometric patterns, and showed visual cortex activity when exposed to light up to 1,550 nanometers; ethical concerns and long development timelines delay human application.
Read at english.elpais.com
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