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The Intracortical Visual Prosthesis Project

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Artificial Vision

Abstract

The possibility of engineering, testing, and deploying a cybernetic interface to the visual areas of the human brain has inspired scientists, biomedical engineers, clinicians, and science fiction writers. Implemented as a cortical visual prosthesis, visual perception might be provided to individuals with blindness. Based upon pioneering work in the late 1960’s, and the development of significant technology throughout the remainder of the twentieth century, the Intracortical Visual Prosthesis (ICVP) is being planned for clinical trial. Autonomous, wireless, 16-channel stimulator modules will be used to tile the dorsolateral surface of the human occipital lobe. Each module will contain 16 intracortical electrodes that penetrate the cortical surface and provide simulation currents to visual processing areas of the brain. Through the use of spatial and temporal integration, the expectation is that the brain will convert the artificial visual information into useful visual perceptions. While it is not expected that the ICVP will produce normal vision, prior work strongly suggests that the artificial visual perception may notably enhance the user’s ability to recognize objects and navigate, and improve overall quality of life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA

    Philip R. Troyk PhD

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  1. Philip R. Troyk PhD
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Correspondence to Philip R. Troyk PhD .

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  1. Munich, Germany

    Veit Peter Gabel

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Troyk, P.R. (2017). The Intracortical Visual Prosthesis Project. In: Gabel, V. (eds) Artificial Vision. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41876-6_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41876-6_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-41874-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-41876-6

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