The
U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Artificial Retina Project
is a collaborative, multi-institutional effort to develop an implantable
microelectronic retinal device that restores useful vision to
people blinded by retinal diseases. The ultimate goal of the project
is to restore reading ability, facial recognition, and unaided
mobility in people with retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular
degeneration.
The project taps into
the unique technologies and resources developed at DOE national
laboratories to surmount the many technical challenges involved
with developing a safe, effective, and durable product. The research
team includes six DOE national laboratories, four universities,
and private industry.
Three models are now
in development or testing. Model 1, with 16 electrodes, has been
implanted in six patients. Clinical trials for a second, more
compact device with 60 electrodes are underway with U.S. Food
and Drug Administration permission. A third, far less invasive
and higher-resolution model is under development.
Clinical testing of
the devices is supported by the National Eye Institute of the
National Institutes of Health and others. For information on eligibility
for participation in these studies, see Who
is eligible?.
|
Watch
a video about the Artificial
Retina Project |
|