Gabor RichterThe vision implant created in this research study can be referred to as a thread with numerous electrodes placed in a row, one after the other. In the long term, you would need numerous threads with thousands of electrodes connected to each one, and the outcomes of this research study are a crucial step towards such an implant.The future of vision implantsAn electrical implant to enhance vision in people with blindness is not a new concept. The implant technology presently being checked out in human patients is from the 1990s and there are several factors that require to be improved, for example, the bulky size, scarring in the brain due to their large size, materials wearing away over time, and materials being too rigid.By creating a really small electrode the size of a single neuron, scientists have the possible to fit lots of electrodes onto a single implant and build up a more detailed image for the user. The unique mix of flexible, non-corrosive materials make this a long-term solution for vision implants.” Miniaturisation of vision implant components is necessary. Particularly the electrodes, as they require to be little enough to be able to deal with stimulation to big numbers of areas in the brain visual locations. The primary research study concern for the team was, Can we fit that many electrodes on an implant with the materials we have and make it little enough and also efficient? and the response from this research study was– yes,” states Professor Asplund.The smaller sized the size, the even worse the corrosionTo develop an electrical implant on such a small scale comes with its challenges, specifically in a difficult environment, such as the human body. The significant barrier is not to make the electrodes small, however to make such small electrodes last a long time in a damp, damp environment. Corrosion of metals in surgical implants is a huge problem, and because the metal is the practical part, along with the rusting part, the quantity of metal is crucial. The electrical implant that Asplund and her group have actually produced measures in at a small 40 micrometers broad and 10 micrometers thick, like a split hair, with the metal parts being just a few hundred nanometers in thickness. And because there is so little metal in the very small vision electrode, it can not pay for to corrode at all, otherwise, it would stop working.In the past, this issue has actually not been possible to solve. Now, the research group have produced an unique mix of materials layered up together that do not wear away. This consists of a performing polymer to transduce the electrical stimulation required for the implant to work, to electrical reactions in the nerve cells. The polymer forms a protective layer on the metal and makes the electrode much more durable to corrosion, essentially a protective layer of plastic covering the metal.” The conducting polymer-metal mix we have implemented is advanced for vision implants as it would suggest they hopefully could remain practical for the whole implant lifetime. We now understand it is possible to make electrodes as small as a nerve cell (nerve cell) and keep this electrode effectively operating in the brain over long timespans, which is promising given that this has been missing out on previously. The next action will be to produce an implant that can have connections for 1000s of electrodes,” says Asplund, something that is presently checked out within a larger team in the ongoing EU project Neuraviper.More about: the study methodThe method was carried out by the research collaborators at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, where mice were trained to react to an electrical impulse to the visual cortex of the brain. The study revealed that not just could the mice discover to respond to the stimulation applied via the electrodes in just a few sessions, however the minimal existing limit for which mice reported an understanding was lower than basic metal-based implants. The research study team further reported that the performance of the implant remained steady with time, for one mouse even till the end of its natural lifespan.Reference: “Flexible Polymer Electrodes for Stable Prosthetic Visual Perception in Mice” by Corinne Orlemann, Christian Boehler, Roxana N. Kooijmans, Bingshuo Li, Maria Asplund and Pieter R. Roelfsema, 07 February 2024, Advanced Healthcare Materials.DOI: 10.1002/ adhm.202304169.
Scientists have actually developed a small implant with neuron-sized electrodes that can remain undamaged in the body, providing possible for future vision implants for the blind. This implant might stimulate the brains visual cortex, creating images with many electrodes acting as specific pixels.A group of scientists from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, the University of Freiburg, and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience has actually developed a remarkably little implant, with electrodes the size of a single nerve cell that can likewise stay intact in the body over time– a special mix that holds promise for future vision implants for the blind.Often when an individual is blind, some or part of the eye is damaged, however the visual cortex in the brain is still working and waiting for input. In the long term, you would need a number of threads with thousands of electrodes connected to each one, and the results of this study are an essential step towards such an implant.The future of vision implantsAn electrical implant to improve vision in people with blindness is not a brand-new principle. The implant innovation currently being explored in human patients is from the 1990s and there are numerous aspects that need to be improved, for example, the large size, scarring in the brain due to their big size, products corroding over time, and products being too rigid.By developing a really small electrode the size of a single neuron, researchers have the potential to fit lots of electrodes onto a single implant and develop up a more comprehensive image for the user.” The performing polymer-metal combination we have actually implemented is innovative for vision implants as it would suggest they hopefully might stay functional for the entire implant life time.