<p>In a ray of hope for the blind, researchers have used electrical stimulation of retinal cells in lab tests to produce the same patterns of activity that occur when the retina sees a moving object.<br /><br /></p>.<p>This is a major step toward restoring natural, high-fidelity vision to blind people. The first artificial or bionic vision technology is already out in the market in the US and western Europe.<br /><br />This has allowed people suffering from retinitis pigmentosa to regain eyesight. However, the technology does not enable people to drive, jog down the street or see a loved one's face.<br /><br />Now, a Stanford University (California) team is working to improve the technology by targeting specific cells in the retina - the neural tissue at the back of the eye that converts light into electrical activity.<br /><br />"We have found that we can reproduce natural patterns of activity in the retina with exquisite precision," said E.J. Chichilnisky, a professor of neurosurgery at Stanford's School of Medicine and Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory.<br /><br />The team focused their efforts on a type of retinal ganglion cell called parasol cells. These cells are known to be important for detecting movement and its direction and speed, within a visual scene. <br /><br />When a moving object passes through visual space, the cells are activated in waves across the retina.<br /><br />"It is very exciting for someone who may not have seen anything for 20-30 years. It is a big deal. On the other hand, it is a long way from natural vision," Chichilnisky added. The study has been published in the journal Neuron.</p>
<p>In a ray of hope for the blind, researchers have used electrical stimulation of retinal cells in lab tests to produce the same patterns of activity that occur when the retina sees a moving object.<br /><br /></p>.<p>This is a major step toward restoring natural, high-fidelity vision to blind people. The first artificial or bionic vision technology is already out in the market in the US and western Europe.<br /><br />This has allowed people suffering from retinitis pigmentosa to regain eyesight. However, the technology does not enable people to drive, jog down the street or see a loved one's face.<br /><br />Now, a Stanford University (California) team is working to improve the technology by targeting specific cells in the retina - the neural tissue at the back of the eye that converts light into electrical activity.<br /><br />"We have found that we can reproduce natural patterns of activity in the retina with exquisite precision," said E.J. Chichilnisky, a professor of neurosurgery at Stanford's School of Medicine and Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory.<br /><br />The team focused their efforts on a type of retinal ganglion cell called parasol cells. These cells are known to be important for detecting movement and its direction and speed, within a visual scene. <br /><br />When a moving object passes through visual space, the cells are activated in waves across the retina.<br /><br />"It is very exciting for someone who may not have seen anything for 20-30 years. It is a big deal. On the other hand, it is a long way from natural vision," Chichilnisky added. The study has been published in the journal Neuron.</p>