Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Nano Retina Announces BIRD Foundation Grant

Abstract:
Grant to help fund development of the Bio-Retina, a "bionic retina" designed to restore full sight to the blind

Nano Retina Announces BIRD Foundation Grant

Herzliya, Israel | Posted on April 14th, 2010

Nano Retina announced today that it has received a grant for just under three-quarters of one million dollars from the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation. The financing will be used to further develop the Bio-Retina, a "bionic retina" designed to return full sight to those blinded by retinal degenerative conditions.

The BIRD Foundation acts to encourage collaboration between Israeli and American companies in various fields of technology. Eitan Yudilevich, Ph.D., executive director of the BIRD Foundation said, "Returning sight to those blinded by a retinal degeneration condition is a goal of enormous importance. U.S. and Israeli reviewers thoroughly examined the activity and plans of this exciting and challenging initiative. Nano Retina is combining outstanding U.S. and Israeli human resources and technologies to develop a 'bionic retina', which if successful, will likely change the lives of millions for the better."

Bio-Retina is a tiny implant designed to replace the damaged retina in the eye. The implant's nano-sized components are powered by a special pair of activation eyeglasses. Bio-Retina will be surgically implanted in a minimally invasive, 30-minute procedure, which requires only local anesthesia. Full sight is anticipated instantaneously.

"50,000 people in the United States become blind annually. In addition, there are currently 3.6 million Americans aged 40 and older who are legally blind. Bio-Retina is designed to restore full sight to those blinded by degenerative conditions such as AMD, Diabetes Retinopathy or Retinitis Pigmentosa. By full sight we mean the patient will be able to watch TV and identify faces," said Ra‟anan Gefen, managing director of Nano Retina.

He continued, "We have a working 'electrical' prototype and have demonstrated proof of concept. We intend to use the generous funding from BIRD to miniaturize the system and develop a 'nano' prototype. All of the medical and technology industry experts with whom we have consulted agree that our product development expectations are attainable. We have laid the development foundation and now expect to begin clinical trials in 2012."

####

About Nano Retina
Nano Retina is a joint venture of Rainbow Medical (www.rainbowmedical.co.il) and Zyvex Labs (www.zyvexlabs.com). Rainbow Medical, headquartered in Herzliya, Israel and backed by worldwide investors, is an operational investment company formed to support the many medical devices invented by visionary Yossi Gross. Zyvex Labs, founded by nano industry icon Jim Von Ehr, is a leading nano technology developer based in Dallas, Texas. Nano Retina is open to collaboration discussions.

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Ra'anan Gefen
Nano Retina
Managing director
+972-(0)52-3349161

Copyright © Nano Retina

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Nanomedicine

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Personal Care/Cosmetics

DGIST and New Life Group launched a research project on "Functional beauty and health products using the latest nanotechnology" May 12th, 2023

A Comprehensive Guide: The Future of Nanotechnology September 13th, 2018

Graphene finds new application as anti-static hair dye: New formula works as well as commercial permanent dyes without chemically altering hairs March 22nd, 2018

Programmable materials find strength in molecular repetition May 23rd, 2016

Grants/Sponsored Research/Awards/Scholarships/Gifts/Contests/Honors/Records

Discovery of new Li ion conductor unlocks new direction for sustainable batteries: University of Liverpool researchers have discovered a new solid material that rapidly conducts lithium ions February 16th, 2024

$900,000 awarded to optimize graphene energy harvesting devices: The WoodNext Foundation's commitment to U of A physicist Paul Thibado will be used to develop sensor systems compatible with six different power sources January 12th, 2024

Catalytic combo converts CO2 to solid carbon nanofibers: Tandem electrocatalytic-thermocatalytic conversion could help offset emissions of potent greenhouse gas by locking carbon away in a useful material January 12th, 2024

'Sudden death' of quantum fluctuations defies current theories of superconductivity: Study challenges the conventional wisdom of superconducting quantum transitions January 12th, 2024

Nanobiotechnology

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project