3 ms·

>And because you can now do everything the wireless way Citation please? That certainly wasn't the case last time I was reading this corner of the research lit

>And because you can now do everything the wireless way Citation please? That certainly wasn't the case last time I was reading this corner of the research literature (6ish years ago).

nnq 13y ago
Don't you have all the needed technologies and pieces in any high end mobile phone? Yeah, there's the electronics for the implanted electrodes, but I doubt they can't be made small enough to be put under the skin. You's basically have a smaller-smartphone sized computer implanted somewhere under the skin (above the pectoral? somewhere else? dunno - just make a larger version of the casing used for peacemakers), with a wirelessly rechargeable battery (existing tech - just google), a subcutaneous bunch of wires going to the implanted electrode (again, tech similar to what you have in current pacemakers), and this will be wirelessly linked to the camera (existing tech - just need to find something low power on the receiving end). If you need more computing power in the loop, you'd have another smartphone sized device in the patients pocket, getting the wireless feed from the camera, processing it and streaming to the subcutaneous one. But wait, you already have things like the Google Glass that have a camera + enough computing power and wireless capabilities baked in, and ready to be mass produced, thanks Google. Going further, when the electronics get low power enough, the wirelessly charging implantable battery (a bit large, and deadly if it ever leaks, but thankfully not hard to safely case/coat) could be replaced with a glucose fuel cell (not yet available, so stick to the battery for now, but doable in the future according to: http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130322/srep01516/full/srep01516.html http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130322/srep01516/full/srep01...). Now yes, none of these are "medical grade" or "medically approved" techs or anything, there is real work in putting them together, and the whole biocompat coating is again existing tech, you just need the expertise of an existing implantable devices manufacturer, but it's "just" a matter of glueing together some existing parts. Take a team of good hw engineers from any telcom company and they'd know how to do it. ...but to be honest, the real solution for blindness caused by retinal damage is probably something like this: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/278/1711/1489.short http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/278/1711/1489... , and since this is probably the best path, it doesn't matter that much this old doc's researches got to an end...
- pocketstar 13y ago
  something like this which is actively used to treat Parkinson's disease : http://biomed.brown.edu/Courses/BI108/BI108_2008_Groups/group07/DBSsrc-wiredblod.jpg http://biomed.brown.edu/Courses/BI108/BI108_2008_Groups/grou...
- nnq 13y ago
  EDIT+: http://www.mitportugal.org/press-releases/a-portuguese-fast-transcutaneous-non-invasive-battery-recharger-and-energy-feeder-for-electronic-implants.html http://www.mitportugal.org/press-releases/a-portuguese-fast-... - you now have systems that can do the charging without frying the meat :)

>And because you can now do everything the wireless way Citation please? That certainly wasn't the case last time I was reading this corner of the research literature (6ish years ago).

nnq 13y ago

Don't you have all the needed technologies and pieces in any high end mobile phone? Yeah, there's the electronics for the implanted electrodes, but I doubt they can't be made small enough to be put under the skin. You's basically have a smaller-smartphone sized computer implanted somewhere under the skin (above the pectoral? somewhere else? dunno - just make a larger version of the casing used for peacemakers), with a wirelessly rechargeable battery (existing tech - just google), a subcutaneous bunch of wires going to the implanted electrode (again, tech similar to what you have in current pacemakers), and this will be wirelessly linked to the camera (existing tech - just need to find something low power on the receiving end). If you need more computing power in the loop, you'd have another smartphone sized device in the patients pocket, getting the wireless feed from the camera, processing it and streaming to the subcutaneous one. But wait, you already have things like the Google Glass that have a camera + enough computing power and wireless capabilities baked in, and ready to be mass produced, thanks Google. Going further, when the electronics get low power enough, the wirelessly charging implantable battery (a bit large, and deadly if it ever leaks, but thankfully not hard to safely case/coat) could be replaced with a glucose fuel cell (not yet available, so stick to the battery for now, but doable in the future according to: http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130322/srep01516/full/srep01516.html http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130322/srep01516/full/srep01...). Now yes, none of these are "medical grade" or "medically approved" techs or anything, there is real work in putting them together, and the whole biocompat coating is again existing tech, you just need the expertise of an existing implantable devices manufacturer, but it's "just" a matter of glueing together some existing parts. Take a team of good hw engineers from any telcom company and they'd know how to do it. ...but to be honest, the real solution for blindness caused by retinal damage is probably something like this: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/278/1711/1489.short http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/278/1711/1489... , and since this is probably the best path, it doesn't matter that much this old doc's researches got to an end...

pocketstar 13y ago
something like this which is actively used to treat Parkinson's disease : http://biomed.brown.edu/Courses/BI108/BI108_2008_Groups/group07/DBSsrc-wiredblod.jpg http://biomed.brown.edu/Courses/BI108/BI108_2008_Groups/grou...
nnq 13y ago
EDIT+: http://www.mitportugal.org/press-releases/a-portuguese-fast-transcutaneous-non-invasive-battery-recharger-and-energy-feeder-for-electronic-implants.html http://www.mitportugal.org/press-releases/a-portuguese-fast-... - you now have systems that can do the charging without frying the meat :)