The device is intended to bypass the damaged eye structure of those with retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. A miniature camera mounted in eyeglasses captures images and wirelessly sends the information to a microprocessor (worn on a belt) that converts the data to an electronic signal and transmits it to a receiver on the eye. The receiver sends the signals through a tiny, thin cable to the electrode array, stimulating it to emit pulses, transmitting the electrical signals directly to the retina’s remaining viable cells. The pulses travel to the optic nerve and the brain, which perceives light and dark patterns corresponding to the electrodes stimulated.
Three models are now in development or testing. Model 1, with 16 electrodes, was implanted in six patients and shown to be safe and effective. Clinical trials for a second, more compact device with 60 electrodes are under way with U.S. Food and Drug Administration permission. A third, far less invasive and higher-resolution model is under development. Ultimately, the project collaborators hope to design a device with hundreds to a thousand microelectrodes. Vision simulations indicate that this resolution would enable reading large print, unaided mobility, and facial recognition.
Future grant solicitation notices will be posted on the DOE Office of Science Grants and Contracts Web Site and at grants.gov. Information about preparing and submitting applications, as well as the DOE Office of Science merit review process, is at the DOE Office of Science Grants and Contracts Web Site.
Dual-use DOE technologies are helping to speed the design and development of more compact implants that require less surgery time and enable optimized processing, expanded visual perceptions, and higher-resolution vision.
Future applications of this technology extend beyond the treatment of blindness to the general field of neural prostheses. Next-generation devices may ultimately lead to new approaches to help people suffering from spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, deafness, and almost any other neurological disorder.
Additionally, many of the technological advances stemming from the Artificial Retina Project lend themselves to applications in other DOE-relevant areas such as bioenergy and environmental monitoring.
Dean Cole, Ph.D.
Biological Systems Science Division, SC-23.2
U.S. Department of Energy, GTN Bldg.
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585-1290
Phone: (301) 903-3268
Fax: (301) 903-0567
Email: dean.cole@science.doe.gov