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FDA APPROVED BIONIC EYE for the blind. View in LinkedIn

CYBORG ENHANCEMENTS in the works include artificial skin, tongue-aided vision, cochlear implants, nerve signals via the internet, third eye, and retinal implants. Technology-enhanced living is not only for patients. Pretty wild stuff. See: www.technewsdaily.com/4865-9-cyborg-... View in LinkedIn

IMPLANTED VISION CHIP has been approved in Europe and a different device is pending approval in the US. A tiny electronic chip that is implanted in the eye is on sale for the correction of degenerative visual defects. The European chip requires no camera, unlike the US system that has a glasses-mounted camera. The results vary widely from patient to patient. @TechReview">http://techre.vu/166w05r >@TechReview View in LinkedIn

FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES who contemplate transitioning to modern governance (boards), business development (licensing and innovation), and market expansion (internationalization) often are daunted and suspicious. The owners typically have scant formal business backgrounds, and were trained by the family. The business has served as a cash cow for the family, and relies on continued inheritance to continue this way. There are numerous examples of such businesses that would prefer to drive the company into death than change. And others where the chain of inheritance is being broken. View in LinkedIn

TRANSPLANTING EYE CELLS is another option versus an electronic bionic eye. Stem cells for the eye are currently being investigated in the UK to make photoreceptors in blind mice. There are similar trials ongoing for macular degeneration, and induced autologous pluripotent cells in Japan. http://lnkd.in/A_yQtY View in LinkedIn

BOARDS are vital for good governance, strategy guidance, and giving some assurance to partners that the company is professionally managed (there are always Enrons). International partners scrutinize boards, and generally think that a company without them is Mom-And-Pop, and will have less trust in them. Equally, a world class board is third party validation, and can make a hugely positive difference in funding and partnering. View in LinkedIn

AN ELECTRONIC TONGUE or the Taste Chip prototype for lab use is being developed. It is hard to imagine that such devices could replace the sensory pleasure of taste, but would be useful in analytics. Replacement of defective taste buds is an alternative approach, there are about 8,000 taste buds per tongue and they are constantly regenerating. Within the bud, individual cells regenerate on a two week cycle. " "Taste bud replacement via stem cells is a future possibility: http://lnkd.in/Fpj2Xi DOI: 10.1039/b705107g View in LinkedIn

CATALONIA, like many other countries, has a long history of family businesses (FB). The nearly half dozen Pharma companies in Barcelona are FBs. Historically, most FBs resisted non-family ownership and oversight. Gradually, some opened up to Advisory Boards, on a take-it-or-leave it basis. Now as they prepare for internationalization, many realize they need proper boards. View in LinkedIn

USING THE TONGUE to restore sight is one of the more improbable but interesting bionics currently at prototype. Remember the speculation about using different species to solve problems through mind-machine interface? Mixing senses to surrogate is not dissimilar. The sensate world of taste having visual inputs? Completely different language of the senses. Fascinating. http://lnkd.in/U8PtwC View in LinkedIn

SMART CONTACT LENSES are being developed in many labs. Somewhere between Google Glass and Bluetooth, these "Assisted Living" contacts may be solar powered and thought-controlled. Having embedded transparent LED in the lens could give a source of real-time data on infinite topics for numerous applications. View in LinkedIn