English scientists have developed a unique apparatus that can almost completely restore a blind person's sight. A new device, created at Stanford University, is an implantable chip that plays the role of an artificial retina.

It perceives light pulses and releases biologically active substances (neurotransmitters) that stimulate the nerve cells of the eye - that is, it works on the same principle as the natural retina of a person.

The "naturalness" of the process also ensures ease with implantation - unlike devices that transform light into electrical pulses, the new implant is completely biocompatible. "Over the past few years, several models of artificial retina analogues have been developed," said Dr. Stacey Bent, the creator of the implant. "These devices did their job well in the laboratory, but their implantation was accompanied by considerable difficulties - the surgeons had to place inside the eyeball a complex electronic device and connect it to the nerves. Therefore, we went the other way, replacing the electrical stimulation of the nerves of the eye of the chemical. »Medicus. En.

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