SensNews Jul 2015

Sensor100

July 2015

It has always seemed to me that among the many afflictions which

plague mankind, becoming blind must be among the worst - living

in a world of darkness, unable to move around freely, not being able

to read, or indeed write editorials, would be near hell for me. Peo-

ple who are profoundly deaf tell me that is an even worse affliction,

because it cuts the sufferer off from normal communication. We have

featured this month the groundbreaking implant of a retineal prosthe-

sis in a patient with AMD (age-related macular degeneration), a condi-

tion that affects 1 in 2000 of the world’s non-diabetic population. This

is not the first time this implant has been used - it has helped treat

patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that is common in dia-

betics. But it is the first time for AMD; the recipient has shown some

ability to see shapes, and we can only wish him and the surgical team

continued success.

We have debated here before exactly what is meant by a “biosensor”.

The strictly rigorous academic definition seems to be fading away, as

sensors are increasingly finding wider and newer applications in the

biological sciences and healthcare. We will continue to interpret the

word liberally, and pretty much include anything which appeals to

your editor.

Enjoy the summer

Kind regards

Michael

From the editor...