A retinal implant that is more effective against blindness

EPFL researchers have developed a new type of retinal implant for people who have become blind due to the loss of photoreceptor cells in their retinas. The implant partially restores their visual field and can significantly improve their quality of life. Thirty-two million people around the world are blind. Between 2 and 4 million of them owe their condition to the loss of light-sensitive cells in their retinas. The most promising treatment for this type of blindness is a retinal implant containing electrodes that electrically stimulate the retinal cells. "But current implants produce very poor results, and their wearers are still considered legally blind," says Diego Ghezzi, who holds the Medtronic Chair in Neuroengineering (LNE) in EPFL's School of Engineering. "In order to lead what is considered a 'normal' life, the implantee must recover a visual field of at least 40 degrees.