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A revolutionary development could hold the key to reversing blindness or opening up new horizons for the visually impaired.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have made a revolutionary advance: The experts have created a brain implant that could restore vision to blind people. The innovation features an implant equipped with neuron-sized electrodes that, when implanted in the brain, stimulate visual perception.
Scientific research aimed at curing blindness began as early as the 1990s, but technological solutions so far have been hampered by two main problems: the size of the electrodes and their tendency to corrode, writes Nature. Ho Chi Minh CityHowever, Maria Asplund and her team at a Swedish university have succeeded in making a historic breakthrough by developing microelectrodes that are not only smaller but also more corrosion-resistant. They can therefore be more efficient and durable during implantation.
The key part of the implant is a special alloy containing a conductive polymer. This material converts electrical signals while also acting as a protective coating to protect the metal from damage. Due to these properties of the implant, it is able to create finer and more detailed images in the brain, which is essential for clear visual perception.
So far, early results from experiments in mice have been encouraging, with the implants effectively stimulating the animals’ vision even with minimal electrical stimulation.
The research team aims to create an advanced implant that works with thousands of tiny electrodes to provide more detailed visual information to the patient’s brain. This advance could bring new hope to visually impaired people who want to see the world again.
(Cover image: Blind man. Illustration: Getty Images)
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