Texas Instruments, the semiconductor design and manufacturing giant, in collaboration with Narayana Hrudyalaya hospital is all set to kick off clinical trials on a prosthetic eye implant.
To set up sales and support centres across India
BANGALORE: Texas Instruments, the semiconductor design and manufacturing giant, in collaboration with Narayana Hrudyalaya hospital is all set to kick off clinical trials on a prosthetic eye implant that will help patients regain their eyesight. The clinical trials for the ‘bionic vision’ technology will begin by the end of 2009 under the leadership of Dr Rajani Battu.
The device consists of a miniature camera that captures images transmitted to a processing unit and a receiver located behind the ear. The impulses from the camera are passed on to the optic nerve just like the eye would in a person with eyesight. The prosthetic functions as a cornea and directs the light into the eye. Elaborating on the technology, Dr Battu said, “Retinal prosthetics are one way to treat a host of diseases that affect the eye.” The trials will be conducted on people aged above 55 years and living within or close to the city.
The first generation of such prosthetics (with 16 electrodes) may become commercially available in the next three years. At Rs 5 lakh, the price is pretty high at the moment but mass production could help bring down costs in the future, said Dr Battu.
Meanwhile, Texas Instruments is also setting up sales and applications centres across the country. At the 11th Texas Instruments Developer Conference, Bobby Mitra, managing director, said that the company would focus on areas such as renewable energy and medical engineering in India. “The move is aimed at increasing our pan-India presence and reaching out more effectively to customers,” he said. Mitra said the centres would be situated not just in metros but also in non-metros. “Texas Instruments will also set up power design labs and R&D labs for high-speed products so customers can develop their applications on our processors,” he said.
b_subbalakshmi@dnaindia.net
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}