Digital technology may help restore sight

July 13, 2006

Researchers in Scotland are working on a prosthetic retina that could restore sight to blind people.

The Scotsman said the technology, which is similar to that found in digital cameras, would be implanted into the eye to stimulate a retina that was no longer working.

The micro-electronic device could translate light into electrical impulses, stimulating the retina and fooling the brain into believing the eye is still in working order, the newspaper said.

Dr. Keith Mathieson, who leads the team at Glasgow University developing the device, said scientists are five to 10 years away from fitting the artificial retina to humans. If successful, the invention could transform the lives of up to a million people who have gone blind, the newspaper said.

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