An artificial eyelid that blinks in a natural and convincing way has been
fitted to a patient who lost an eye and eyelid after surgery to remove a tumour
(The Lancet, vol 353, p 1493). The latex device is triggered by a muscle signal
from an implant in the patient’s remaining eyelid and is powered by a tiny
battery hidden behind the glass eye. A tiny motor opens the lid and the elastic
properties of the latex close it again. Some 300 000 test blinks carried out at
the Humboldt University in Berlin, where it was developed, proved the device
could stand up to wear and tear. Slow-motion video has revealed good
synchronisation between eyelids.
More from New ÒÁÈ˾þÃ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New ÒÁÈ˾þà articles
1
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
2
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
3
The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away
4
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
5
Mystery of the ancient giant stone jars of Laos may have been solved
6
The distant world that is our best hope of finding alien life
7
We may finally know why dinosaurs like T. rex evolved tiny arms
8
Can we harness quantum effects to create a new kind of healthcare?
9
The future of robot armies is here – and it’s not what you think
10
Putting CO2 into rocks and getting hydrogen out is climate double win
