American experts printed bionic eye

Specialists of the University of Minnesota created a bionic eye model that could return sight to people who lost it in the future.

For this, scientists used a custom-made 3D printer. At first, a base of silver particles was printed, located inside a spherical dome, and then photodiodes were put on the basis, which allowed to convert light signals into electrical ones.

The result is a bionic eye that can turn light into electricity. The percentage of efficiency is 25%, which is significantly lower than the parameters of the human eye, however even such indicators at the moment demonstrate a significant breakthrough in research activity on the creation of eye implants.

The created model is still impossible to transplant to a person, since the glass dome is not suitable for this. Experts are looking for opportunities to print the basics of a softer material.In addition, scientists face the task of increasing the number of photoreceptors, which will improve the efficiency of the device.

One of the project leaders, Michael McAlpine, notes that his team has managed to achieve serious results in the issue of eye implantation. The technology of three-dimensional printing of semiconductors makes it possible to obtain devices that are not inferior in their efficiency to more expensive models in terms of production technology. This significantly reduces the cost of the process of creating implants, and therefore increases their availability.

The created implants will help to restore sight to people who have lost it, as well as to significantly improve the existing one.

It is not yet clear how the process will occur, whether it will be necessary to remove a person’s own eye in order to establish its substitute, and whether new developments will be able to compete with traditional laser correction operations. In any case, the new bionic model opens up new opportunities, which means that an increasing number of people will be able to restore sight and live a full life.