Scientists want to plant miniature solar panels in our eyes!

A group of Australian scientists from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney is investigating The possibility of implanting miniature solar panels in people's eyesWhich they believe could revolutionize the treatment of incurable eye diseases. The idea is to create a kind of neuroprosthesis, that is, a device that restores lost functions by interacting with the nervous system.

I The concept refers to the widely known cochlear implant, which converts sound into electrical signals To stimulate the auditory nerve in people who suffer from severe hearing loss. Experts from various fields expect it to be used to treat vision disorders caused by damage to photoreceptors, which are the cells responsible for detecting light and color.

People with conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration experience gradual vision loss as their photoreceptors deteriorate. Dr. Udo Romer, a solar panel specialist who led the latest research, Proposes a new way to bypass damaged photoreceptors.

And drink from Using solar technology to convert light entering the eye into electricityThis facilitates the transfer of visual information to the brain. Traditional methods using electrode-based implants require complex procedures using wires inserted into the eye, but Romer's concept “simply attaches” a miniature solar panel to the eyeball.