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High-Resolution Opto-Electronic Retinal Prosthesis: Physical Limitations and Design

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Artificial Sight

Part of the book series: Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering ((BIOMEDICAL))

Abstract

Electrical stimulation of the retina can produce visual percepts in blind patients suffering from macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). However, current retinal implants provide very low resolution (just a few electrodes), whereas many more pixels would be required for a functional restoration of sight.

This article presents a design of an optoelectronic retinal prosthetic system with a stimulating pixel density of up to 2500pix/mm2 (corresponding geometrically to a maximum visual acuity of 20/80). Requirements on proximity of neural cells to the stimulation electrodes are described as a function of the desired resolution. Two basic geometries of subretinal implants providing required proximity are presented: perforated membranes and protruding electrode arrays.

To provide for natural eye scanning of the scene, rather than scanning with a head-mounted camera, the system operates similarly to “virtual reality” devices. An image from a video camera is projected by a goggle-mounted pulsed infrared LCD display onto the retina, activating an array of powered photodiodes in the retinal implant. The goggles are transparent to visible light, thus allowing for the simultaneous use of remaining natural vision along with prosthetic stimulation. Optical delivery of visual information to the implant allows for real-time image processing adjustable to retinal architecture, as well as flexible control of image-processing algorithms and stimulation parameters.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology and Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, California, USA

    D. Palanker, A. Vankov, P. Huie, A. Butterwick, I. Chan, M.F. Marmor & M.S. Blumenkranz

Authors
  1. D. Palanker
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  2. A. Vankov
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  3. P. Huie
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  4. A. Butterwick
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  5. I. Chan
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  6. M.F. Marmor
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  7. M.S. Blumenkranz
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90033USA, USA

    Mark S. Humayun , James D. Weiland  & Gerald Chader ,  & 

  2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA

    Elias Greenbaum

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Palanker, D. et al. (2007). High-Resolution Opto-Electronic Retinal Prosthesis: Physical Limitations and Design. In: Humayun, M.S., Weiland, J.D., Chader, G., Greenbaum, E. (eds) Artificial Sight. Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-49331-2_14

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