One of the leading causes of blindness in many people is oxygen deficiency in the retina, and what is even worse, ophthalmologists do not have proper tools to make the correct diagnosis, which is extremely important when it comes to an organ as delicate as an eye. But what if all that trouble could be spared by tiny robots which were able to detect the deficiency of oxygen in the retina? Precisely that is what scientists at ETH Zurich are developing, specifically Prof. Bradley Nelson, director of the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, who also has a Guinness record for the most advanced mini robot for medical use.
The professor says that he sees these robots as similar to those used today to explore the seabed, being the major difference the fact they can measure levels of oxygen in the fluid of the eye and retina. They operate based on the behavior of a fluorescent dye which reacts to the amount of oxygen in the surroundings and, when stimulated with certain wavelengths of light, the dye emits fluorescent light which begins to disappear at a certain rate depending on the amount of oxygen present that is, the more oxygen the faster light disappears.
At the moment the tests were performed in water and the eyes of dead animals, but the results obtained are believed to make them ready for use in the human eye. Thus we might see in the near future ophthalmologist making use of robots to diagnose patients and find the best ways to prevent blindness.
http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/5700/Micro-Robots-Could-Prevent-Blindness.aspx?goback=%2Egde_1817500_member_239595102
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