Machine vision is a rapidly evolving field of research in ophthalmology, along with technological advances for sight recovery. Until now, the development of tools, such as lenses, magnifying glasses, microscopes or filters, have favored the autonomy of people with visual impairment and the increase in the life expectancy of the general population. Currently, technology is breaking into the application and development of new possibilities for machine vision and sight recovery.

Área Oftalmológica Avanzada has compiled the eight main lines of research in ophthalmology in the field of artificial vision and sight recovery. The most promising studies in this area are focused on the transformation of the light stimulus that reaches the retina in electrical stimulation, so that the information that reaches the brain is encodable. In this sense, the main lines of research are related to technological progress and retinal implants with chips or stem cells, but also the combination of genetic and optical methods, 3D printing, nanotechnology and tissue regeneration.

intraocular telescope

It is a double lens system implanted in the eye, which acts as the "Galileo telescope", which allows to increase the visual acuity in patients with high myopia o low vision. The system, developed by Vision Care, is applied to only one eye to provide better central resolution, while the other eye is used for good orientation and mobility. The system provides about three magnifications and increases the campor vision at 6,6º compared to people who have it implanted in glasses.

 

Retinal Chip and Stem Cell Implants

Retinal implants can be made using chips or stem cells. Among the chip technology for the eyes, two viable projects stand out, although they are in the experimentation phase.

La retinal chip implantation, also known as "bionic eye", is a system formed by a microplate that detects light, converts it into an electrical stimulus and projects it towards the retinal cells, acting as a layer of photoreceptors and sending the signal to the brain. This chip implantation is intended for people with neurodegenerative diseases of the retina. The main drawback is that it requires an external source of energy, and one of the main problems is the placement and tolerance factors.

The system Argus II chip implantation It consists of a prosthesis that is implanted inside and around the eye. This prosthesis is composed of an antenna, an electronic box and an electrode array. The external equipment is formed by micro-camera glasses, a video processing unit (VPU) and a cable. In this system, the camera located in the glasses sends visual information to the VPU. The processed information is then transmitted wirelessly to the antenna, then an array of electrodes receives the signals, and the cells of the retina are stimulated. At the end of the process, the information in the form of points of light reaches the brain. Currently, this is the most important clinical experience in the campor retinal prosthesis, as it improves the ability to perform visual tasks and achieves campor visual up to 20º.

La retinal stem cell implantation Pluripotential is another great advance for the recovery of vision. These cells, which can be "programmed" to perform specific and specialized tasks, serve for the creation of specialized tissues. Recently, stem cells extracted from the bone marrow have been used, which have been introduced into the vitreous and can be differentiated and integrated into the retinal circuits. This is a methodology that is giving great hope in the transplant and treatment of degenerative diseases of the retina.

cortical or brain implants

Cortical or cerebral implants for the recovery of vision are made with two-dimensional materials, such as graphene, a substance composed of pure carbon, capable of transferring information from the brain to an electronic device. These implants, which do not depend on the optical pathway, are characterized by offering greater chemical stability. In addition, they are more sensitive, better conductors and more biocompatible than other materials or substances.

Gene therapy

Gene therapy is a set of techniques that allow DNA and RNA sequences to be transported into diseased cells, with the aim of modifying the functioning of certain proteins that are altered and that are the cause of diseases. Clinical trials in hereditary diseases of the retina that are being carried out worldwide are seeking an improvement in light sensitivity, campor visual, color perception and changes in visual acuity.

Optogenetics

Optogenetics is the combination of genetic and optical methods to control specific events in certain cells of living tissues. With the technique of optogenetics you can get other cells of the retina to function as photoreceptors. Using this type of methodology, proteins such as LiGluR can be synthesized, which convert light into an electrical stimulus and, therefore, send a signal to the brain so that the sequence of visual perception can be initiated, that is, to recover vision.

Printing in 3D

3D printers have revolutionized campor regenerative medicine using the bioprinting technique: the printing of cells to create structures and organs. In the Campor from ophthalmology, it has been possible to artificially create two types of adult rat retina cells (ganglionic and glial, of neuronal origin), responsible for transmitting information from the eye to certain parts of the brain to generate the concept of "vision". The development of this technique could serve to restore damaged cells and restore vision in patients with diseases related to the retina.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the science that studies the manipulation of atoms, establishing different configurations and making them react to form molecular compounds with pre-established properties and functions. The scientific advances in this field, applied in medicine, suggest that nanotechnology will allow the possibility of curing diseases from within the body and at the cellular or molecular level. This possibility, when available, would resolve most diseases and pathologies related to vision and vision.

artificial silicon retinas

Artificial silicon retinas (ASRTM) are formed by a microchip that measures less than one tenth of an inch and is less thick than a human hair. These retinas could serve to replace the light-sensitive cells, that is, the damaged natural photoreceptors, by means of a tissue engineering and transplantation technique. Researchers hope to use artificial nanostructured collagen to promote cell regeneration and that cells, tissues and even specific organs grow, among which the corneal tissue stands out, opening a definitive scenario for the recovery of vision.