UNSW (University of New South Wales) researchers over at Australia have come up with a microchip that is tipped to provide all the relevant processing muscle for Down Under’s first bionic eye. This new 98-channel microchip is currently undergoing preliminary lab testing, where it measures a mere five square millimetres albeit carrying the latest in nerve stimulation technology. The design team managed to go the extra mile in incorporating never-before attempted features with this design, where hte microchip will function as the heart of the retinal implant as it stimulates the retinal cells to elicit vision. It will see action at the core of the Wide-View neurostimulator device that is currently being developed, where a full implant of the system in a patient is tipped for 2013 – that gives them a couple more years or so to get everything running fine and dandy. Since this was posted on April 1st, we do wonder whether such a seminal development should have been announced on that particular date. [Press Release]
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