Easy on the Eyes

Anyone who’s ever had a stray eyelash or a piece of dust land in their eye can attest to the pain even the tiniest foreign object can cause. While this sensitivity is essential for keeping our eyes in working order, it can also be a problem for those with retinal implants.

The retina is a light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye that plays an important role in sight, and damage to it can lead to blindness. For the past few years, retinal implants have been restoring vision for patients with such problems, but those implants have all been mechanical devices, which can wreak havoc on already damaged eyes.

“The human eye is incredibly sensitive, which is why foreign bodies like metal retinal implants can be so damaging, leading to inflammation and/or scarring,” University of Oxford researcher Vanessa Restrepo-Schild explained in a university news release. To that end, she led a team in creating the world’s first synthetic, soft tissue retina.

The team used lab-created biological tissue for its artificial retina, and because it doesn’t incorporate any rigid foreign materials, the device is less likely to cause problems once implanted. “A biological synthetic implant is soft and water-based, so much more friendly to the eye environment,” explained Restrepo-Schild.