Artificial Sight: Restoring Vision with Retinal Implants

Description

This lecture explores the field of bioelectronics and biomedical microelectronics, focusing on the human vision system, types of blindness, and implantable restorative technologies. It covers the causes of blindness, the structure and function of the human visual system, and various retinal implant technologies such as epiretinal, subretinal, and suprachoroidal implants. The lecture also discusses the challenges and advancements in cortical stimulation, optic nerve stimulation, and the use of microelectrode arrays. It delves into the details of retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, highlighting the importance of artificial sight in restoring vision for individuals with visual impairments.

Official source

https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/0_jwem1dl7

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Visual system

The visual system comprises the sensory organ (the eye) and parts of the central nervous system (the retina containing photoreceptor cells, the optic nerve, the optic tract and the visual cortex) which gives organisms the sense of sight (the ability to detect and process visible light) as well as enabling the formation of several non-image photo response functions. It detects and interprets information from the optical spectrum perceptible to that species to "build a representation" of the surrounding environment.

Retinal ganglion cell

A retinal ganglion cell (RGC) is a type of neuron located near the inner surface (the ganglion cell layer) of the retina of the eye. It receives visual information from photoreceptors via two intermediate neuron types: bipolar cells and retina amacrine cells. Retina amacrine cells, particularly narrow field cells, are important for creating functional subunits within the ganglion cell layer and making it so that ganglion cells can observe a small dot moving a small distance.

Visual impairment

Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as corrective eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment– visual impairment may cause the individual difficulties with normal daily tasks including reading and walking. Low vision is a functional definition of visual impairment that is chronic, uncorrectable with treatment or conventional corrective lenses, and impacts daily living.

Retina bipolar cell

As a part of the retina, bipolar cells exist between photoreceptors (rod cells and cone cells) and ganglion cells. They act, directly or indirectly, to transmit signals from the photoreceptors to the ganglion cells. Bipolar cells are so-named as they have a central body from which two sets of processes arise. They can synapse with either rods or cones (rod/cone mixed input BCs have been found in teleost fish but not mammals), and they also accept synapses from horizontal cells.

Gene therapy of the human retina

Retinal gene therapy holds a promise in treating different forms of non-inherited and inherited blindness. In 2008, three independent research groups reported that patients with the rare genetic retinal disease Leber's congenital amaurosis had been successfully treated using gene therapy with adeno-associated virus (AAV). In all three studies, an AAV vector was used to deliver a functional copy of the RPE65 gene, which restored vision in children suffering from LCA.