Article posted on 2024-01-20 21:14:39
Article modified on 2024-01-20 21:14:38
The Yonsei University research team applies a highly safe liquid metal-based 3D electrode
A national research team has developed a highly safe soft artificial retina that can restore sight to blind patients.
The research team formed by Professor Seok-ho Byun of the Department of Ophthalmology at Severance Hospital of Yonsei University, Professor Jang-woong Park of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Professor Jun- won Lee of the Department of Ophthalmology at Gangnam Severance Hospital announced on the 19th that he has developed a highly safe liquid metal-based soft artificial retina that can restore vision to blind patients.
Limitations of existing solid metal-based flat electrode type artificial retina/3D electrode type artificial retina.
To restore vision in patients who have lost it due to retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration, the only way to do so is to attach an artificial retina device directly to the retina or brain.
To implant an artificial retina device in a blind patient, metal electrodes must be inserted into nerve tissue such as the retina or brain. During this process, the hard metal penetrates the soft nervous tissue, causing damage and causing an inflammatory reaction, and leaving scars. Due to the scar that forms at this time, a phenomenon occurs in which electrical signals do not pass over time between the nerve tissue and the electrode. Artificial retina devices marketed to date have had difficulty in use due to this problem.
When light was shined onto the retina implanted with a soft artificial retina, an approximately four times larger retinal signal was confirmed in the light-receiving area.
As a result, the research team developed a soft artificial retina that incorporates 3D electrodes made of highly biocompatible liquid metal. Unlike existing solid metal-based artificial retinas, retinal damage was minimized by using liquid metal, a soft material similar to retinal tissue, and electrical conduction efficiency was increased by using three-dimensional needle-shaped electrodes to ensure maximum contact with the curved retinal surface. .
The research team implanted the in-house developed soft artificial retina into a mouse model that had lost sight due to retinal degeneration and illuminated it locally to analyze whether vision had been restored and the extent of retinal damage. As a result, the area that received the light produced a retinal signal about four times larger than the area that did not receive the light. The retina did not respond to light at all before the soft artificial retina was implanted. In particular, the 3D liquid metal electrode with three-dimensional structure developed by the research team showed approximately double the efficiency in signal transmission compared to a flat electrode of the same material.
Professor Byun Seok-ho said: “Artificial retina devices using 3D liquid metal electrodes reduce damage to retinal tissue compared to existing artificial retinas made of hard metal, and can precisely and stably contact electrodes even on retinas with irregular surfaces”. the results of this study will allow the development of personalized artificial retinas for blind patients.”
The results of this study were published in the latest issue of the international academic journal “Nature Nanotechnology”.
2024-01-20 12:14:39
#Development #soft #artificial #retina #capable #restoring #sight #blind #patients