"It enhanced the brain's perception across the board, not only to things that are obviously a threat but also to things that aren't obvious but might be threats, " says Lilianne Mujica-Parodi, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Stony Brook University in New York and lead author of the article.

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Christian Parigger, associate professor of physics, and Jacqueline Johnson, associate professor of mechanical, aerospace, and biomedical engineering, along with Robert Splinter of Splinter Consultants, have developed the invention.

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Associate Professor Gregg Suaning, of the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering and a project leader in the national bionic eye consortium, Bionic Vision Australia (BVA), said the new, 98-channel microchip, now undergoing preliminary lab testing, was a major step towards the goal of a functional bionic eye.

ENGADGET: Bionic eye closer to human trials with invention of implantable microchip