A team led by a scientist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa., is working to develop an artificial retina, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report.
CMU's Shawn Kelly, PhD, is collaborating with others from Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on the retinal prosthesis technology.
The technology uses a similar concept as that found in cochlear implants, but rather than helping people with hearing problems, Dr. Kelly's team hopes the technology will help restore functional vision to those with vision problems.
Still in its development state, an early prototype system allowed a blind person to "see dots in proper patterns and order," according to the report.
Dr. Kelly said the team's goal is to test a miniaturized and wireless prototype in people within the next 18 months.
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