Eye Spy Israeli Nanotechnology

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

We know our readers are a pretty good-looking bunch, but seeing well is just as important as looking good.  An Israeli company is making waves this week after reporting that it has come up with a system of implants – for your eyes, that is – that could potentially help millions of people clear up their vision.

The Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch website reports that Nano Retina, based in Herzliya, has developed a system of retinal implants to help people suffering from macular degeneration, complications of diabetes, and other diseases that affect vision.

Without getting all technical, the Bio-Retina would be implanted into the eye and actually glued over one’s natural but damaged retina.  As light enters the eye, the Bio-Retina converts it into tiny electrical impulses and sends them off to the brain, essentially functioning just as a normal, healthy retina would.  Best part?  The procedure takes about half an hour.  Heck, that’s faster than most dentist visits.

Unsurprisingly, Nano Retina’s innovative chief executive Ra’anan Gefen comes from a background of technology development in Israel’s military.  Nano Retina isn’t a one-man show, though.  The company is a joint venture of Rainbow Medical, also of Herzliya, and Zyvex Labs of Texas.  (And, to be fair, we should mention that U.S.-based Second Sight Medical Products is also working on its own solution.)

Will bionic eyes become standard fare?  Will macular degeneration become a thing of the past?  Will the carrot industry survive?  Only time will tell.

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