Journal article
Visual prostheses for the blind
RK Shepherd, MN Shivdasani, DAX Nayagam, CE Williams, PJ Blamey
Trends in Biotechnology | ELSEVIER SCIENCE LONDON | Published : 2013
Abstract
After more than 40 years of research, visual prostheses are moving from the laboratory into the clinic. These devices are designed to provide prosthetic vision to the blind by stimulating localized neural populations in one of the retinotopically organized structures of the visual pathway - typically the retina or visual cortex. The long gestation of this research reflects the many significant technical challenges encountered including surgical access, mechanical stability, hardware miniaturization, hermetic encapsulation, high-density electrode arrays, and signal processing. This review provides an introduction to the pathophysiology of blindness; an overview of existing visual prostheses, ..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We thank our colleagues in Bionic Vision Australia (BVA) for their contributions to the BVA research effort. Fundus images were generously provided by Drs Lauren Ayton, Peter Dimitrov, and Penny Allen from CERA (suprachoroidal electrode array), Brian Mech from Second Sight Medical Products Inc. (the Argus II device), and Dr Katarina Stingl and Prof Eberhart Zrenner from the Center for Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Germany (Alpha IMS subretinal implant). Dr Lauren Ayton, Dr Paige Shaklee, and two anonymous reviewers gave helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. The Bionics Institute acknowledges the support it receives from the Victorian Government through its Operational Infrastructure Support Program. This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) through its Special Research Initiative (SRI) in Bionic Vision Science and Technology grant to Bionic Vision Australia. The Bionics Institute would also like to acknowledge support from the Potter Foundation and the Bertalli Family Trust.