ONA technology requires four components: an attaching mechanism, impulse receivers, impulse converters, and transmitters.
Attaching Mechanism
Attaches the device to the retina at the optic disk and incorporates clamps to keep the device in place.
Receivers
Detects and receives the electrical signals containing the visual information captured by the eye. These receivers are modelled after neuron receptors and are capable of receiving any kind of signal, making ONA technology adaptable and more cost-efficient.
Converters
Imitates the way neurons convert between chemical and electrical signals.
Transmitters
Transmits the chemical signals converted by the converters to the healthy receiving neurons in the optic nerve. These transmitters utilize a system that bypasses the nerve damage with an alternate current to allow signals to travel through the optic nerve. They are made of silicon because it is able to transmit signals rapidly but is still safe and resilient to intraocular pressure.
