[Nfbf-l] Artificial retina: Physicists develop an interface to the optical nerve (Germany)

[Alan Dicey]

Dear Friends,
It saddens me that it seems more research is being done in other countries 
to find "A Cure For Blindness" than our America The Beautiful.
Well, they will be the ones to obtain the patents  and the Billions of 
dollars gained in using them.
With Best Regards,
God Bless,
Alan
Plantation, Florida

Artificial retina: Physicists develop an interface to the optical nerve 
August 7, 2014
(Photo)
Graphene electronics can be prepared on flexible substrates. Only the gold 
metal leads are visible in the transparent graphene sensor. Credit: Natalia 
Hutanu / TUM

Physicists at Technische Universitat Munchen (TUM) are using the special 
properties of graphene to produce key elements of an artificial retina. With 
their research program the researchers were admitted to the heavily funded 
'Graphene' Flagship Program of the European Union.
Graphene is viewed as a kind of "miracle solution": It is thin, transparent 
and has a tensile strength greater than that of steel. In addition, it 
conducts electricity better than copper. Since it comprises only a single 
layer of carbon atoms it is considered two-dimensional. In 2010 the 
scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize 
for their ground-breaking work on this material.
In October 2013, the "Graphene" project was selected alongside the "Human 
Brain Project" as a Flagship Project of the EU FET Initiative (Future and 
Emerging Technologies). Under the supervision of Chalmers University of 
Technology in Sweden, it bundles the research activities and will be funded 
with one billion euro over ten years. In July 2014 the program took on 66 
new partners, including the TUM.
Optical Prostheses for Blind People
Because of its unusual properties, graphene holds great potential for 
applications, especially in the field of medical technology. A team of 
researchers led by Dr. Jose A. Garrido at the Walter Schottky Institut of 
the TUM is taking advantage of these properties. In collaboration with 
partners from the Institut de la Vision of the Université Pierre et Marie 
Curie in Paris and the French company Pixium Vision, the physicists are 
developing key components of an artificial retina made of graphene.
Retina implants can serve as optical prostheses for blind people whose 
optical nerves are still intact. The implants convert incident light into 
electrical impulses that are transmitted to the brain via the optical nerve. 
There, the information is transformed into images. Although various 
approaches for implants exist today, the devices are often rejected by the 
body and the signals transmitted to the brain are generally not optimal.
Excellent Biocompatibility
In contrast to the traditionally used materials, graphene has excellent 
biocompatibility thanks to its great flexibility and chemical durability. 
With its outstanding electronic properties, graphene provides an efficient 
interface for communication between the retina prosthesis and nerve tissue.
With their ambitious research project, the TUM researchers have now secured 
a place in the "Graphene" Flagship Program. The TUM is also involved in the 
second EU Flagship Program The Human Brain Project" - coordinating the 
domain "Neurorobotics".
Explore further: Graphene: Potential of one carbon atom-thick wonder 
material has not escaped industry's radar
Provided by Technical University Munich
 http://phys.org/news/2014-08-artificial-retina-physicists-interface-optical.html