A group of researchers has developed a retinal prosthesis made from tellurium nanowires. The unique design of the device has not only restored vision to blind mice, but has also given healthy primates the ability to perceive infrared radiation.
The development is based on the use of special properties of tellurium – a semiconductor material with exceptional light sensitivity. A special mesh structure of nanowires with a diameter of several atoms is capable of converting both ordinary visible light and infrared radiation into electrical impulses understandable to the nervous system.
The system is completely autonomous and does not require external power sources. During experiments, mice deprived of sight from birth demonstrated restoration of the pupillary reflex and activation of the visual centers of the brain after implantation.
In spatial orientation tests, the experimental animals showed results comparable to those of healthy relatives. It is especially important that the implant remained functional even in extremely low light. Monkeys with normal vision developed the ability to distinguish the infrared spectrum without affecting their normal vision.