A group of researchers from the University of Michigan (USA) designed a millimeter-sized prototype medical computer, called the Phoenix chip computer.
Once implanted in the human eye, the device monitors the eye pressure in people with glaucoma, thus keeping the evolution of the disease under control.
The tiny computer is complete with microprocessor, pressure detector, memory, battery, solar cell and wireless radio to transmit data outside: all in less than 1 cubic millimeter in size. The system switches on every 15 minutes to measure the pressure inside the eye, then returns to "sleep" mode with low energy consumption. To recharge the battery, an exposure of just 10 hours of artificial light or an hour and a half of sunlight is required.
