Articles tagged with Retina
The artificial retina project aims to restore vision in blind individuals by capturing visual signals and transmitting them to the brain. The device is a miniature disc with an electrode array that stimulates optical nerves, enabling users to see large letters and differentiate between objects.
Researchers at Northwestern University found that cells in the retina of fruit flies adopt mathematically predictable shapes and configurations, similar to soap bubbles. This discovery reveals a general principle of patterning found in a wide range of living things.
A new technique using spectral imaging allows doctors to detect and chart eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma with high accuracy. The method uses liquid crystal tuneable filters and cooled digital cameras to take images at specific wavelengths, revealing the oxygenation state of blood vessels in the eye.
Researchers found that worms seek mates when alone but remain near food sources with potential mates. In cone-only retinas, rod bipolar neurons maintain their morphology and connectivity despite lacking rods, while remaining light-sensitive.
Researchers at Stanford have developed a chip that uses chemicals to stimulate neurons, offering new possibilities for treating age-related macular degeneration. The device has the potential to deliver small amounts of drugs precisely where they're needed and enable real-time chemical analysis of living tissues.
A new UNC study identifies specific eye features that can predict when premature infants are at risk of developing retinal detachment and total blindness. The study found that certain blood vessel growth patterns and vitreous cloudiness may indicate the need for surgical intervention to prevent progressive stage 4 ROP.
Researchers discovered a genetic mutation that causes retinitis pigmentosa by interfering with cell development in the retina's capillaries. Understanding this mechanism could lead to new treatments for the disease.
Researchers found that African mole-rat eyes have anatomically well-developed retinas and a surprisingly high proportion of cones, which is unusual for blind animals. The density of rods, used for night vision, is also lower than expected in subterranean mammals.
A new imaging technique reveals the presence of a previously unknown organelle called a retinosome, which houses retinyl esters essential to the regeneration process. The discovery could lead to better understanding and treatment of congenital blindness caused by defects in the retinoid cycle.
Researchers found that adult stem cells can repair nerves, but the process is slow and scar tissue hinders healing. The study suggests that manipulating stem cells and growth factors could stimulate nerve regeneration.
A recent study found a significant association between the breakdown of the vitreous gel and the development of nuclear cataracts. The researchers discovered that high levels of vitreous liquefaction were strongly correlated with cataract formation, even after accounting for age.
Biomedical engineers at Purdue used dip-pen nanolithography to create templates on retinal tissue, which can potentially improve transplant strategies for macular degeneration. The research aims to enhance the success of implanting retinal pigment epithelial cells as a treatment for this incurable eye disease.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have developed a new treatment for degenerative eye disease, macular translocation surgery with 360 degree peripheral retinectomy (MT360), which has shown promising results in recovering reading vision in patients. The procedure involves rotating the retina to shift the degenerating macula ...
Researchers have found that injecting adult bone marrow-derived stem cells into the back of mouse eyes curtails retinal degeneration and restores normal retinal tissue. The treated mice had improved vision and responded to light, offering a potential new approach for treating retinitis pigmentosa.
Studies using laser measurements reveal the natural basis for human tendencies in judging distances, including a preference for distances of 6-12 feet and equidistance between objects. The findings support the theory that the visual system has evolved to make statistical guesses about distances based on past experience.
Researchers find that spontaneous neuronal activity in the retina is crucial for the formation of separate left and right eye connections to the brain. Blocking all activity in the retina leads to abnormal development of these connections.
Researchers at UCSB discovered a connection between Alzheimer's disease and age-related macular degeneration, both linked to the presence of inflammatory plaques. The study suggests that a toxic protein called amyloid beta may be the underlying culprit, stimulating an inflammation process that contributes to vision loss.
Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified a critical role for the gene Prox1 in regulating the development of the retina, ensuring proper formation and organization of complex tissue. The study found that Prox1 directs progenitor cells to stop multiplying, resulting in a precise ratio of horizontal cells to r...
Using adaptive optics, researchers can now clearly see features such as blood flow in the retina, enabling early diagnosis of diseases. This technology will help eye doctors track changes in patients with conditions like diabetes and glaucoma.
Vision researchers found that rhodopsin molecules pair up in neat double rows on the outer-segment disc membranes of rods. This arrangement allows for efficient absorption of dim light and amplification of faint signals, enabling the brain to detect individual photons.
Researchers have developed a new technology using adaptive optics to improve diagnosis of eye diseases. The technology enables doctors to see individual cells in the retina, allowing for early detection and treatment of conditions such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.
Researchers identify a crucial pathway in the retina that allows the pupil to respond to light, even when rods and cones are absent. This discovery suggests a complex non-visual photoreceptive system in the inner retina that helps regulate the body's internal clock and unconscious activities.
Scientists have found that melanopsin plays a significant role in resetting the brain clock to light, but not in visual sight. The discovery suggests that light can reset the clock even if vision is impaired, and may have implications for general well-being, mood, activity levels, and performance.
The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to develop an artificial retina that can capture visual signals and send them to the brain, restoring vision to patients with age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. The next-generation device aims to have 1,000 electrodes, allowing users to see images.
Researchers aim to create partial vision for the blind using 1,000 MEMs electrodes attached to the retina. The system, backed by a $9 million grant, promises to enable basic household chores and reading, but not driving.
Researchers at Salk Institute and UT Southwestern Medical Center identified a critical class of proteins controlling nerve connections from the eye to the brain. The study revealed how optic axons map their connections using Eph receptors and ephrin ligands, shedding light on neural development and potential repair mechanisms.
A study found that people with type 2 diabetes experienced increased oscillatory potentials after dark adaptation, which decreased with oxygen inhalation. The researchers suggest that diabetic patients might benefit from a modified night-time illumination cycle during sleep to reduce oxygen consumption in the retina.
A team of researchers has established the first-ever gene profile of the aging human retina, revealing expression changes in genes involved in stress response and energy metabolism. The study's findings may help scientists understand how age predisposes individuals to age-related diseases such as AMD.
Researchers are using adaptive optics to study microscopic structures in human eyes, improving diagnosis of retinal diseases like macular degeneration and glaucoma. AO-based devices also enable precise measurement of optical aberrations, leading to customized contact lenses and guided laser surgery.
Researchers at Virginia Tech are developing injectable magnetic fluids to repair torn or detached retinas, a technique that could help prevent blindness in thousands. The treatment appears promising in laboratory studies, with the potential to be more precise and effective than current methods.
A new type of analog processor, compact and fast for image processing, has the potential to replace damaged human retinas with an artificial eye. The cellular nonlinear network (CNN) chip is integrated with a camera to produce an image processor, mimicking the functions of the retina.
A research team found that a small fraction of nerve cells in the retina express melanopsin, which detects light levels and regulates the body's daily cycles. These cells connect to brain areas controlling the clock and pupil response, suggesting a non-visual role for melanopsin.
Researchers at Brown University have identified a new photoreceptor cell in the eye that turns light energy into brain signals, governing the body's 24-hour clock and helping people adjust to jet lag. This discovery expands our understanding of visual systems, suggesting a parallel system to the well-known rods and cones.
Researchers mapped the neural circuitry of a light-sensing system that governs the body's internal clock and regulates sleep-wake cycles, discoveries that could lead to new treatments for jet lag and depression. The study identified melanopsin as a key player in this system.
Researchers from the Office of Naval Research have developed a retinal microchip to restore vision in the blind. The chip electronically stimulates healthy retina cells, transmitting signals to the brain to recognize faces and read large text.
Researchers have made a breakthrough discovery about the development of rod and cone photoreceptors, the light-sensitive cells in the retina that initiate vision. The study found that the retinal protein Nrl acts as a 'molecular switch,' signaling cells to develop into rods rather than cones.
Researchers have successfully transplanted neuronal stem cells into a diseased rat retina, which integrated into the eye and extended into the optic nerve. This breakthrough could lead to the development of a new therapy to restore vision in millions of people affected by retinal damage.
Virginia Tech researchers have made advances in creating biocompatible magnetic fluids to treat retinal detachment. The new material, made of silicone magnetic nanoparticles, can be injected into the sclera and used with a magnetized buckle to push the retina back against the underlying choroid.
A new proximity sensor developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory could significantly reduce risks in eye surgery by detecting the location of critical retinal tissues. The sensor alerts surgeons when the endoscope's needle approaches the retina, alleviating concerns and improving precision and safety.
Scientists used adaptive optics technology, originally developed for spy satellites, to map out the topography of the inner eye and take unprecedented photographs of retinas. The results show a random arrangement of cones, which could help diagnose and treat diseases like blindness.
Researchers at UNC Health Care have discovered two proteins, CRY1 and CRY2, which help regulate circadian rhythms. These proteins were found in layers of the retina not involved in forming visual images, and their presence may help set the daily clock from sites in skin cells.