Artificial Retina Light-Permeable Conductive Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional artificial electronic retinas face limitations in increasing photosensitive efficiency due to the direct proportionality between microelectrode size and output power, which reduces the area covered by electronic photosensitive elements, thereby limiting the input and output power of electric current and photosensitive efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a light-permeable conductive material, such as indium tin oxide, carbon nanotubes, or graphene, that is electrically connected to both the electronic photosensitive elements and microelectrodes, allowing for enhanced input and output power without increasing the microelectrode size, and featuring a light-focusing structure to increase light entry and an electricity-discharging structure to boost current power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the microelectrode size is increased to increase output power, then the output power increases, but the photosensitive area covered by electronic photosensitive elements decreases
Solution Approach 1:
A light-permeable conductive material layer is introduced as an intermediary between the microelectrode and the electronic photosensitive element. This layer enables electrical connection while being transparent to light, allowing the microelectrode to deliver power without blocking light from reaching the photosensitive area.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical connection is transitioned from a direct point-contact approach to a planar layer approach. The conductive material forms a continuous layer that provides both electrical connectivity and light transmission, effectively adding a dimensional solution to the point-contact limitation.
2Power
If the microelectrode size is increased to increase input power, then the input power increases, but the photosensitive area covered by electronic photosensitive elements decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The light-permeable conductive material serves as a mediator that allows high-power electrical signals to be transmitted across the entire photosensitive area through a distributed network of conductive pathways, rather than requiring a single large microelectrode that would block light.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive material layer can be segmented into multiple conductive pathways or patterns that distribute the input power across different regions of the photosensitive area, allowing each region to receive adequate power without requiring a single large blocking electrode.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a non-conductive material is used to block light, then light blocking is achieved, but electrical connection is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The light-permeable conductive material acts as an intermediary that simultaneously provides both light transmission and electrical conductivity, eliminating the need to choose between these two conflicting requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive material layer can be implemented as a composite structure combining transparent materials with conductive properties, such as transparent conductive oxides (e.g., ITO), conductive polymers, or nanomaterial composites, achieving both optical transparency and electrical conductivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A structure of an artificial electronic retina is disclosed, which includes an array of a plurality of photoelectric units, and each photoelectric unit includes one electronic photosensitive element, one microelectrode, one electronic circuit, and sidewalls surrounding the photoelectric unit, wherein the microelectrode is disposed on and electrically connected to the electronic photosensitive element, and the electronic circuit is disposed on the electronic photosensitive element adjacent to the sidewalls near the circumference of the electronic photosensitive element. A layer of a light-permeable conductive material is disposed on the electronic photosensitive element between the microelectrode and the electronic circuit, wherein the layer of the light-permeable conductive material is electrically connected to both the electronic photosensitive element and the microelectrode. Therefore, the input and output power of the electronic photosensitive element can be increased without reducing the photosensitive area of the electronic photosensitive element.