Embedded electronic implants have long been confined to the realm of science fiction, but the development of a new stretchable battery could soon make them a reality. A pair of scientists have developed a new type of lithium-ion battery that can stretch up to three times its original length and can be recharged wirelessly. The new battery, which is being developed by Northwestern University’s Yonggang Huang and the University of Illinois’ John A. Rogers, could signal a major breakthrough for electronics that can be implanted in the human body, like bionic eyes and heart monitors.

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Post tags: batteries, bionic eye, bionic implants, electronic implant, flexible batteries, green technology, John A. Rogers, lithium-ion batteries, Northwestern University, stretchable battery, university of illinois, wearable technology, wirelessly charged batteries, Yonggang Huang

Bionic Vision Australia, a government-funded research consortium in Carlton, Victoria, announced Thursday that it has successfully implanted and tested an early prototype bionic eye. Dr. Penny Allen, a retinal surgeon, implanted the prototype in the retina of Dianne Ashworth, a volunteer subject who suffers from profound vision loss from an inherited condition called retinitis pigmentosa. After a recovery period, researchers tested the device in a lab at the Bionics Institute in East Melbourne. According to an announcement from Bionic Vision Australia, Ashworth reported, “I didn’t know what to expect, but all of a sudden, I could see a little flash … it was amazing. Every time there was stimulation there was a different shape that appeared in front of my eye.”

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Post tags: australia, bionic, bionic eye, cleantech, Design for Health, eye, implant, vision

Solar technology could have a role in reversing blindness in the near future. Stanford University researchers have invented goggles that can send information to chips – which behave like solar cells – implanted into eye retinas. These new retinal implants would require far less invasive surgeries than the very limited options that are currently available. The “bionic eye” could potentially give the blind the gift of sight once again.

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Post tags: bionic eye, blindness, cure for blindness, electrical engineering, James Loudin, retinal implants, Solar cells, specialized goggles, stanford university