Bionic Eyes

As our population ages, impaired vision caused by damaged retinas has increased.

Among the new invention ideas to improve vision is to use silicon chips that can stimulate the retina to respond to light. But these chips are large and can tear or otherwise damage surrounding eye tissue over time.

Jeffrey Olsen, of the University of Colorado Hospital, has invented light amplifying "quantum" dots. This use of nanotechnology increases the light received by the retina so that images are brighter.

The "quantum" dots fluoresce when hit by photons so the images are more visible to functioning light sensitive cells.

The dots act as semiconductors and are implanted into the retina. They are much smaller than silicon chips.

To appreciate the miniature world of nanotechnology, it helps to get an idea of the sizes involved. A nanometer (nm) is the unit of measurement on the nanoscale. A nanometer is smaller than the wavelength of visible light or a hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair.

On the nanoscale, atoms are assembled to make the latest science inventions - such as light amplifying "quantum" dots.