[tabi] Bionic Eye News
- From: <sgreenblatt76@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TABI" <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:33:49 -0400
I heard about this news report that was on NBC last night and I looked up the
article to pass along to everyone. I followed the link for more information on
the project and downloaded the PDF file; I've attached it to this message as a
text file for anyone interested to read further. It's not something that will
help me personally but I thought there might be some on the list who could be
in line for such a medical breakthrough.
Scott
Bionic eye sheds light on blindness
Posted: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 4:48 PM by Daily Nightly Editor
By Robert Bazell, NBC News chief science correspondent
On Tuesday night we'll report on a research project that is literally allowing
blind people to see again. Even though the project has been in progress for two
decades, supported by the Department of Energy--first at Johns Hopkins now at
the University of Southern California--the results have been limited. But given
the enormous challenges, they are still impressive.
People who were totally blind could at first perceive dots of light that
allowed them to avoid bumping into objects. Now, as the system is progressing,
they can begin to make out the outlines of faces and other large objects.
The system works by taking the signal from a tiny camera on a pair of
sunglasses, which then runs through wires that are implanted on the surface of
the retina. These electrodes stimulate the retinal cells to send signals to
the brain that are perceived as light.
You can read about the project in detail including diagrams of how it works
here:
http://www.doheny.org/research/pdfs/arnvol1no1.pdf
As Dr. Mark Humyan, the project leader, explained to me, the challenges involve
both software and hardware. Even though we often use metaphors of physical
objects like video cameras and computers to try to understand how body parts
like eyes and brains work, the "software" code is very different for our body
than it is for electronics. Matching the codes has taken almost two decades.
The hardware problem is that electronics are dry, while our bodies are moist
and salty. Getting the electric leads to work in the eye is "like throwing a
cell phone in the ocean," according to Humyan.
For now, the patient must turn so that the camera faces whatever he or she is
trying to see. But Armand R. Tanguay, Jr., an electronics engineer, has
designed a tiny video camera that will literally fit into the front lens of the
eye, allowing the person to just move their eyes to see.
Currently the project treats only people with the blinding condition retinitis
pigmentosa. In the future, the researchers plan to move on to other
conditions, including macular degeneration. The waiting list for those wishing
to become research subjects is long, but anyone interested should call: (818)
833-5000.
More info on "bionic eyes":
http://bmes-erc.usc.edu/research
http://artificialretina.energy.gov/
http://www.usc.edu/schools/medicine/departments/ophthalmology/index.html
http://www.doheny.org/
http://www.2-sight.com/
EMAIL THIS
Comments
What wonderful news of a beginning to allow blindness to be healed. Thank you
Robert for telling the story.
Jack (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 6:23 PM)
I wonder if this would work for people who have Septo Optic Dysplasia, where
the optic nerves are underdeveloped or not present?
Lisa Reed, Tupper Lake NY (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 7:09 PM)
Is there a possibility that this new procedure could benefit a person with
mitrochondrial myopathy? Please excuse me if I have misspelled this condition.
Mary Ann Strawhun, Moscow Mills, Missouri (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 7:11 PM)
hello. my daughter[Pattie] was born in 1970 the dr.s said her nerves didnot
develope from the brain to the eye. and that their were like millions of nerves
inside nerves to the eye. she has been blind since birth. I was just wondering
if or will their ever be a miracle dr. to figure this out. It would be a
miracle for us. thank's Pat
pat walters Fountain , Florida (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 7:27 PM)
My son is 2 years old and have atrophie on the optical nerve (he is blind). He
also have other neurological problem named "esquizencefalia de labio aberto" on
the left side of the brain. We have collected the cells when he was born.
Is there any research that coud help him see?
Leilane Loureiro, Salvador, Bahia Brazil (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 7:36 PM)
Is this available to the public yet? My mother has macular degeneration & I
feel like this would help her. She lost her vision 5 years ago. This would
truely be a miracle.
Terry Harper, B'ham, Al (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 9:11 PM)
I am so thankful that people who are blind might have a way to see again i have
a child who has been blind since birth he has had many eye cornea transplants
and have failed i am hoping someday he will be able to see more.
candi sacramento ca (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 9:11 PM)
I can see that it will not be much help unless someone has a retina intact.
But I am encouraged that there is a place in California which can deal with
unusual problems of eye damage. I hope that they can restore some sight in the
one eye with a retina, for the 4 year old in Bakersfield, who has this horific
injury at the hands of his father.
Elizabeth Scherdt, Lake Oswego , Oregon (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 9:18 PM)
BIONIC EYE SHEDS LIGHT ON BLINDNESS
who ever did this thankyou .retinitis pigmentosa is what i have and been
dealing with since 2003 ..what type of cure In the future, the researchers
plan to do and will it help me see better in the dark and help my
colorblindness.I do need a cure 4 me..So how do i become a research subjects.
Angela Wiggins,buffalo,new york (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 9:35 PM)
My name is Christine McElwee. I have a 29 year old daughter who has lost
almost all her sight due to a rare disease called Erdheim Chester Disease. I
would like more information on the Bionic Eye and if there is a chance it could
help her regain any of her sight.
Thank you.
Christine McElwee, Norristown, Pa. (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 10:48 PM)
Great story. I hope blind people can see it on your web site which is not too
blind-friendly.
P. Figueroa, Latham, New York (Sent Tuesday, June 16, 2009 11:04 PM)
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Envisioning Sight for THE BLIND
The DOE Artificial Retina Project
Leveraging DOE expertise to enhance
the quality of life for millions
Major advances achieved by researchers
in the U.S. Department of Energy?s (DOE)
Artificial Retina Project are beginning
to offer some hope to millions of people
blinded by retinal diseases worldwide.
In a breakthrough operation performed
by project leaders at the Doheny Eye
Institute (University of Southern
California) in 2002, doctors threaded
an electrode-studded array through an
incision into the eye of a man who had
been blind for 50 years and tacked it onto
his damaged retina. Within weeks, the
77-year-old patient could see patterns of
light and dark that allowed him to detect
motion and locate and differentiate
simple objects. For the first time in half a
century he could also envision a brighter
future for himself and others whose lives
have been devastated by vision loss due
to retinal disease.
The bold plan for the project is to build
on this foundational work by using
revolutionary technologies developed at
the DOE national laboratories to create
a vastly improved implantable retinal
prosthesis. The ultimate goal is to restore
unaided mobility, reading vision, and
facial recognition to people with retinitis
pigmentosa (RP) and age-related
macular degeneration (AMD).
A Heavy Toll
RP and AMD destroy the light-sensing
cells (photoreceptors) in the retina,
a multilayered membrane located at
the back of the eye. Unfortunately,
these cells do a poor job of repairing
themselves and no effective treatments
exist, so these individuals are forced to
accept their condition and adapt to life
in a sightless world.
Vision loss due to retinal disease affects
some 6 million Americans and 25 million
people worldwide. In addition to the
social impact on individuals and their
A retinal implant patient visits Disneyland
(see article below). The vision enabled by
this first device allows patients to distin-
guish light from dark and localize large
objects. Patients have found these abilities
useful for daily activities. Vastly improved
devices being developed in the DOE Arti-
ficial Retina Project hold much promise
for the future.
In this Issue
1 Envisioning Sight for the Blind
1 Eyeing the Future
2 A New Kind of Vision
3 Engineering Sight
The Bionic Eye
4 DOE Artificial Retina Project Collaborators
Multidisciplinary groups across the U.S.
5 Designing an Artificial Retina
Challenges and Progress
5 Why DOE?
6 Spotlight
Argonne National Laboratory
7 Who is Eligible?
Would you like to participate
in future studies?
8 Humayun Named Innovator of the Year
8 Related Websites
Eyeing the Future
One Patient?s Story
Linda M., a petite brunette in her early
60s (pictured above), first realized that
something was wrong with her vision
when she couldn?t find things she
dropped. An ophthalmologist soon
confirmed her suspicions and delivered a
sobering diagnosis: Linda was exhibiting
the early signs of retinitis pigmentosa
(RP), a disease that attacks cells in the
?continued on page 2
?continued on page 7
Fall 2006
families, blindness also takes a toll on
national economies and adds to healthcare
spending burdens, because patients often
require significant aid over decades. With
an aging population living longer, the
number of those affected will continue to
grow and, by some estimates, may even
triple by 2025, creating a virtual pandemic
of vision loss.
An Unexpected Path to
Restoring Sight
In the early 1990s, scientists led by Mark
Humayun (then at Johns Hopkins University,
now at Doheny) made an important
discovery that led to an opportunity for
intervention. They found that the remaining
neural wiring in the retinas of RP
and AMD patients could still receive and
transmit light signals. The team began
working on an implantable microelectrode
array that could communicate with the
remaining functional cells and stimulate
visual perceptions (see sidebar, p. 3).
Adapting DOE Technologies
for New Challenges
The basic idea for the array builds on the
medical microelectronics revolution that
produced pacemakers and the cochlear ear
implant for the deaf. The eye, however,
is an especially delicate environment,
requiring the use of more advanced and
miniaturized technologies that also can
adapt to life in a salty world. ?That?s
where DOE technology comes in, and
it?s really the vision for this project,? says
Humayun (see sidebar, p. 5). In 1999,
the Doheny group began collaborating
with Elias Greenbaum from DOE?s Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, who was also
working on approaches for restoring sight
to the blind.
To speed the design and development of
better models, in 2004 Doheny and DOE
(including six of its national laboratories),
two other universities, and Second Sight®
Medical Products Inc. (a private-sector
company) signed a Cooperative Research
and Development Agreement (see Collab-
orators, p. 4). Under the agreement, the
institutions will jointly share intellectual
property rights and royalties from their
research. This will spur progress by
freeing the researchers to share details of
their work with collaborators.
Three Models Explored
To date, 6 patients have successfully
been implanted with the first prototype
Model 1 device, which contains 16
electrodes. In addition to providing
rudimentary sight for the patients (see left
figure in sidebar below), this apparatus is
beginning to answer critical fundamental
biological questions that will enable
researchers to go much further in
developing this concept. A second, more
compact device awaits approval by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for human trials, and a third, far
less invasive and higher-resolution model
is under development.
Funding and Synergies
Over the past 7 years, the DOE project has
grown from a pilot funded at $500,000
(FY 1999) to a full-scale effort with
support of $9.3 million (FY 2005). The
DOE Office of Science funds the project.
DOE supports the design, construction,
and some preclinical (nonhuman) testing
of the devices. Funding is for research in
the following areas:
? Neuroscience imaging studies on
Model 1
? Some preclinical animal studies of
Model 2
? Design and fabrication studies of
Model 3
Doheny also receives other federal funding
to support and extend the work on
the retinal and other neural prostheses.
Envisioning continued from page 1
A New Kind of Vision
The images at right approximate
what patients with retinal devices
see. Increasing the number of electrodes
will result in more visual
perceptions and higher resolution
vision. Scientists worked with patients
who received the Model 1 implant
(a 4 x 4 array of 16 electrodes)
for about one month after surgery
to help them interpret what they
saw. Deaf individuals with cochlear
implants also need such guidance to
understand sounds they are hearing
for the first time.
16 x 16
256 Pixels
32 x 32
1000+ Pixels
4 x 4
16 Pixels
(Images generated by the Artificial Retinal Implant Vision Simulator devised
and developed
by Wolfgang Fink at the Visual and Autonomous Exploration Systems Research
Laboratory,
California Institute of Technology.)
2
Fall 2006
The National Eye Institute of the National
Institutes of Health supports fundamental
and applied research related to the prosthesis.
Commenting on the benefits of these
synergies, Humayun notes that ?You need
to leverage all the expertise more efficiently
and effectively and not reinvent the wheel.?
The National Science Foundation (NSF)
is providing Doheny with funding for the
longer-term goals of further enhancing
the retinal prosthesis and adapting the
technologies to treat a wide range of other
neurological disorders. For example,
researchers are studying how the foundational
concepts used to create the retinal
prosthetic can be used to reanimate paralyzed
limbs and even restore short- and
long-term memory for stroke and dementia
(as in Alzheimer?s disease). For more
information on the NSF project, see web
site bmes-erc.usc.edu.
Worldwide Projects
Other retinal prostheses projects are
under way in the United States and world-
wide, including Germany, Japan, Ireland,
Australia, Korea, China, and Belgium.
These programs pursue many different
designs and surgical approaches. Some
show great promise for the future, but have
yet to demonstrate practicality in terms
of adapting to and lasting long-term in a
human eye. Thus far the projects that have
progressed to clinical (human) trials are
the collaborative DOE effort, a project at
Optobionics (Chicago), and two efforts in
Germany at Intelligent Medical Implants
AG and Retinal Implant AG. [For more
information on worldwide projects, see
Science 312, 1124-26 (2006).]
Although the DOE-Doheny team and
their patients are excited by early implant
successes and new hopes for the
future, this is just the tip of the iceberg,
says Humayun. ?Revolutionary technology
and new approaches will get us
beyond rudimentary vision to the more
functional device?it?s a quantum difference,?
he said. ?We?re trying to go beyond
restoring basic functions, so millions can
be more integrated with society.? n
Engineering Sight: The Bionic Eye
Normal vision begins when light enters and moves through the eye to strike
specialized photoreceptor (light-receiving) cells in
the retina called rods and cones. These cells convert light signals to electric
impulses that are sent to the optic nerve and the brain.
Retinal diseases like age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa
destroy the photoreceptor cells. The artificial
retina device bypasses these cells to transmit signals directly to the optic
nerve.
The device consists of a tiny camera
and microprocessor mounted
in eyeglasses, a receiver implanted
behind the ear, and an electrode-
studded array that is tacked to
the retina. A wireless battery pack
worn on the belt powers the entire
device.
The camera captures an image
and sends the information to the
microprocessor, which converts
the data to an electronic signal
and transmits it to the receiver.
The receiver sends the signals
through a tiny cable to the electrode
array, stimulating it to emit
pulses. The pulses travel through
the optic nerve to the brain, which
perceives patterns of light and
dark spots corresponding to the
electrodes stimulated. Patients
learn to interpret the visual patterns
produced.
3
DOE Artificial Retina Project Collaborators
Includes 6 national laboratories,
3 universities, and private industry
Multidisciplinary groups across the United States
are using a highly focused and coordinated
approach to develop a dramatically improved
retinal prosthetic device to restore sight to the
blind. The Doheny Eye Institute and Oak Ridge
National Laboratory lead the collaborative effort.
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY
Performs neuroscience imaging studies of
the Model 1 retinal prosthesis.
North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
Performs electromagnetic and thermal modeling of
the device to help determine how much energy can be
used to stimulate the remaining nondiseased cells.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, TN
Measures the effect of increasing the
number of electrodes on the quality of
the electrical signals used to stimulate
the surviving neural cells in the retina.
Argonne National Laboratory Chicago
Performs packaging and hermetic-
seal research to protect the
prosthetic device from the salty eye
environment, using their R&D 100
award-winning ultrananocrystaline
diamond technology.
Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory Livermore, CA
Uses photolithographic technology
to develop a thin, flexible implant
that can conform to the curved
shape of the retina.
University of California, Santa Cruz
Performs bidirectional telemetry for
wireless communication and chip
design for stimulating the electrode
array.
Doheny Eye Institute at the University of
Southern California Los Angeles
Provides medical direction and performs
preclinical and clinical testing of the electrode
array implants. Leads the Artificial Retina Project.
Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, NM
Performs imaging and modeling of retinal
function and develops advanced optical
imaging techniques. These contributions will
provide a better understanding of how the
prosthesis works by mapping the interaction
between the brain and retina.
Second Sight Medical Products Inc. Sylmar, CA
Created the Model 1 and Model 2 devices (the latter
with DOE contributions) and will integrate DOE
technologies into a Model 3 design. SSMP will be
responsible for integration and production of devices
under FDA regulations, performance of clinical trials,
and eventual commercial distribution to patients.
Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque, NM
Develops microelectromechanical systems
(MEMS) for electrode arrays and high-
density interconnect tools, and high-voltage
electronic subsystems for integration onto
the electrode-array substrates.
4
Designing an
Artificial Retina:
Challenges and
Progress
Researchers face numerous challenges in
developing retinal prosthetic devices that
are effective, safe, and durable enough to
last for the lifetime of the individual.
The device must be biocompatible with
delicate eye tissue, yet tough enough
to withstand the corrosive effect of the
salty environment. Moreover, it should
remain stably tacked to a precise area of
the retina and not overly compress or
pull at the tissue, whose resilience can
be compared to that of a wet Kleenex.
The apparatus also needs to be powered
at a high enough level to stimulate
electrodes, yet not generate enough heat
to damage the remaining functional
retina. Additionally, image processing
needs to be performed in real time so
there is no delay in interpreting an object
in view. Development of effective surgical
approaches are critically important as
well to ensure a successful implant.
Three Artificial Retina Project devices are
now in testing or development. Engineering
goals include enhancing the resolution
(increasing the number of electrodes
and thus the number of dots produced)
and decreasing the size of the device and
complexity of the surgical procedure.
Model 1
The Model 1 device [developed by Second
Sight Medical Products Inc. (SSMP)] has
been implanted in six patients, whose
ages ranged from 56 to 77 at time of
implant and all of whom have retinitis
pigmentosa. The device consists of a 16-
electrode array in a one-inch package
that allows the implanted electronics to
communicate with a camera mounted on
a pair of glasses. It is powered by a battery
pack worn on a belt. This implant now
enables patients to detect when lights are
on or off, describe an object?s motion,
count individual items, and locate
objects in their environment. To evaluate
the long-term effects of the retinal im-
plant, five devices have been approved
for home use.
Model 2
The smaller, more compact Model 2
retinal prosthesis (developed by SSMP
with DOE contributions) is currently
undergoing preclinical (nonhuman)
studies. This model will be much
smaller, contain 60 electrodes, and
eventually become the first commercial
device. Subject to FDA approval, plans
are to implant this device into the first
patient during 2006. Surgical time has
been reduced from the 6 hours required
for Model 1 to 2 hours.
Model 3
The Model 3 device, which will have
more than 200 electrodes, is undergoing
design and fabrication studies at the
DOE national laboratories. This device
will use more advanced materials than
those in the two previous ones. A special
coating, only a few microns thick, will
replace the bulky sealed package used in
previous models. Additionally, the new
model will be constructed of flexible
materials that will conform to the shape
of the inner eye. Since Model 3 will be
many times smaller than earlier ones, it
will be implantable entirely inside or
around the eye.
The ultimate goal for the prosthetic
device is to enable facial recognition
and large-print reading vision, using
materials that will last for a lifetime. n
The artificial retina consists of an electrode-
studded array (shown) that is tacked to the
retina inside the eye.
Why is the Department of Energy
involved in retinal research?
The challenge of developing a tiny device that can perform complicated tasks
and
be tough enough to survive in the eye?s salty environment demands a diversity
of talents and capabilities. The unique resources and expertise housed at DOE?s
multidisciplinary national laboratories (see pp. 4 and 6 and web site
sc.doe.gov)
are well suited to address the technical challenges involved, including those
in
materials sciences, microfabrication, microelectrode construction,
photochemistry,
and computer modeling. ?Going to the DOE national labs is like going to a
scientific
supermarket,? says Mark Humayun, lead investigator in the DOE Artificial
Retina Project. ?Their revolutionary technologies are enabling completely new
approaches.?
In addition to offering world-class resources, DOE has over 50 years of
experience
managing large multifaceted projects including the Human Genome Project,
initiated
by DOE?s Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) in 1987.
The Artificial Retina Project is sponsored by the Advanced Medical Technologies
Program of BER?s Life and Medical Sciences Division. Past BER successes include
developing the field of nuclear medicine: Nearly every nuclear medicine scan or
test used today was made possible by BER-funded research, an advancement that
has all but eliminated ?exploratory? surgeries.
5
Spotlight
Argonne National
Laboratory
Creating Diamond Coatings
for the Retinal Implant
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
plays a critical role in the success of the
electrode implants used in the Artificial
Retina Project. That?s where researchers
Orlando Auciello and John Carlisle are
using their patented ultrananocrystalline
diamond (UNCD) technology to apply a
revolutionary new coating to the retinal
prosthetic device. The new packaging
promises to provide a very thin,
ultrasmooth film that will be far more
compact and biocompatible than the
bulky materials used to encase the earlier
prototypes (Models 1 and 2).
?It?s like wearing a skin instead of a space
suit,? says Mark Humayun (Doheny Eye
Institute at the University of Southern
California), leader of the Artificial
Retina Project.
An Ultrathin Diamond Coating
UNCD is a form of carbon that captures
many of the properties of diamond and
can be deposited on a wide variety of
surfaces in thin layers. The diamond
grains used in the coating are only 2
to 5 nanometers in size (a nanometer
is about 10,000 times narrower than a
human hair). These films are as hard
as single-crystal diamond, the hardest
known material on earth. Unlike
natural diamond, however, its properties
can be adjusted and optimized for a
given application.
Considered to be a platform technology,
UNCD has numerous potential beneficial
applications in such areas as medicine,
transportation, and industrial production.
It is chemically inert (nonreactive) and
compatible with biological tissues, traits
that make it useful in retinal prosthetic
implants as well as other biodevices such
as an artificial pancreas. Additionally, the
material is a superb electrical insulator but
also can be made to be highly conductive,
and this conductivity can be tuned.
This work has led to the use of UNCD
for biosensors that use electrochemical
reactions to detect biomolecules.
Parts of the UNCD technology received
a 2003 R&D 100 award, an honor given
to the most innovative developments that
occur in a particular year. The technology
has been licensed to Advanced Diamond
Technologies (Champaign, Il.), a company
founded by Carlisle and Auciello.
From the National Labs
to the Public
A goal of the national laboratories is to
provide benefits to industry and the public
by moving discoveries into everyday use,
a process called technology transfer. This
practice leads to benefits for everyone
and demonstrates the value of using tax
dollars to support early-stage scientific
research. In recognition of their efforts
toward that end, Carlisle and Auciello
received the 2006 Award for Excellence
in Technology Transfer from the Federal
Laboratory Consortium.
The nation?s first national laboratory,
ANL conducts basic and applied
scientific research across a wide
spectrum of disciplines, ranging from
high-energy physics to climatology and
biotechnology. Since 1990, Argonne has
worked with more than 600 companies
and numerous federal agencies and other
organizations to help advance America?s
scientific leadership and prepare the
nation for the future. Argonne is
managed by the University of Chicago
for the U.S. Department of Energy?s
Office of Science. n
Argonne National Laboratory
Researchers John Carlisle (left) and Orlando Auciello (right) are developing an
ultrathin
biocompatible coating for the device.
6
retina and ultimately would destroy her
vision, possibly within 10 years. She was
only 21 at the time.
RP is a relatively rare, inherited disease
that affects about one in four thousand
people, and no treatments or cures are
available. As in Linda?s experience, symptoms
often begin in early adulthood with
loss of peripheral vision and grow increasingly
worse. Millions more become blinded
each year due to age-related macular degeneration
(AMD), which strikes the same
photoreceptor cells in the retina.
Linda?s vision continued to deteriorate over
the next 30 years, but her determination to
go on with life?s normal activities, with the
support of her husband Roy, allowed them
to enjoy a full family life and raise three
daughters. Linda lost her remaining vision
in her early 50s and has been completely
blind for about 10 years. She views her
condition with the frustration of one
whose nature is strong and independent.
?It?s really irritating to rely on others,?
she says.
Another Chance
Linda first heard about the DOE Artificial
Retina Project from an ophthalmologist
who thought she might be a good
candidate for the study. Upon visiting the
project leaders at the Doheny Eye Institute
(University of Southern California), she
learned that volunteers undergo a surgical
procedure to implant a tiny array with 16
electrodes on the damaged retina of one
eye. When activated later on, the electrodes
would perform some of the light-signaling
functions of the destroyed retinal cells,
allowing the patient to see patterns
of lights like a lit-up scoreboard (see
sidebar, p. 3). For 18 months post surgery,
participants would return for weekly
follow-up visits.
Linda understood that the retinal
prosthesis could provide only a
rudimentary form of sight, but even that
was intriguing. She also thought that her
participation in the study would allow
researchers to learn more for future
generations. ?OK, let?s do it,? she told them.
One week later, the Doheny Eye Institute
surgeons performed the operation. It
turned out to be ?a breeze,? she said. ?One
night in the hospital, and I was on my
merry way.?
Making Connections
Researchers speculate about what a patient
with a retinal implant might see, but no
one really knows how the brain of someone
who has been blind for many years will
process new visual input (see sidebar, p. 2).
For this reason, researchers and patients
must work together to map the new world
of artificial sight.
Two weeks after the surgery, doctors
activated the device. Linda admits that her
reaction upon first seeing the flashing lights
coming from the implanted electrodes was,
?I?m going to have to connect a lot of dots
before I see anything.? But after several
visits to the lab, she began to make some
correlations between the patterns of lights
and the physical world. A line of vertical
lights, for example, could be a door or the
edge of a table. With practice, the time
needed to interpret the dot-images grew
shorter. A year and a half after receiving the
implant, she was given the go-ahead to try
using the device at home.
New Discoveries
Now, after almost 2 years with the implant,
Linda and Roy reel off examples of how
the implant has impacted their lives,
including some unexpected ways. Mostly,
it has helped Linda gain more control
over her environment, as she negotiates
more confidently around the house. ?I see
where the kitchen table and counters are,
and I don?t knock glasses over anymore,?
she reports.
She also needs less help in interpreting
the outside world. When Linda and her
husband go to church, she knows where
the priest and choir sit. When someone
approaches, she can turn to face them before
they begin to speak. On their evening walks,
she can tell whose porch lights are turned on,
giving her some sense of location. Also, when
riding on the freeway at night, she knows
when they are passing through a tunnel or
near a well-lit mall.
Linda becomes animated as she talks about
attending her grandchildrens? sporting
events. ?Now I can follow the action after my
grandchild hits the ball in a Little League
game,? she says with satisfaction.
She laughs as she reports that she also sees
things she?d rather not. On a recent visit
to Disneyland, Linda climbed into a fast
ride with her grandchildren. As the speed
ramped up, she automatically shut her eyes,
only to discover that the external camera in
the retinal prosthesis continued to provide
visual input, sending signals to the brain.
?Things were flashing much faster and closer
than I liked,? she says. ?I?ll know to turn it
off the next time.?
Future Enhancements
Researchers at the Doheny Eye Institute say
Linda?s experience and that of five other
patients with implants is just the beginning
of what they hope to provide for people with
retinal diseases. A second, improved model
with 60 electrodes is now in preclinical
testing and soon will be implanted in a
new group of volunteers. A third, vastly
improved model containing hundreds
of electrodes is now in early stages of
development. The ultimate goal is to restore
unaided mobility, facial recognition, and the
ability to read large print. ?If I?m still around
then,? says Linda, ?I?ll want one of those
models. I?d do it again.? n
Eyeing continued from page 1
Who is Eligible for a Retinal Implant? The devices discussed in this newsletter
are experimental and not yet available to the public.
Studies are now being conducted at the Doheny Eye Institute at the University
of Southern California Medical Center. Although enrollment
is not currently open, to be eligible for consideration as a candidate for
future studies patients must have a confirmed history of retinitis
pigmentosa. For more information call Second Sight at 818.833.5000 and ask for
the Clinical Research Department.
7
Related Web Sites for
More Information
DOE Artificial Retina Project
ArtificialRetina.energy.gov
Doheny Eye Institute
www.usc.edu/hsc/doheny/
Second Sight Medical Products Inc.
www.2-sight.com
Biomimetic MicroElectronic
Systems
bmes-erc.usc.edu
Foundation Fighting Blindness
www.blindness.org
Prevent Blindness America
www.preventblindness.org
AMD Alliance
www.amdalliance.org
American Council of the Blind
www.acb.org
National Alliance for Eye
and Vision Research
www.eyeresearch.org
Humayun Named
Innovator of the Year
Prepared for the U. S. Department of
Energy Office of Science by the Genome
Management Information System (GMIS)
at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1060
Commerce Park, MS 6480, Oak Ridge,
TN 37830.
Denise K. Casey, Editor and Writer
Shirley Andrews, Graphic Designer
Marissa Mills, Web Designer
Special thanks to:
Lindy Yow, Science Project Director
at Doheny Eye Institute, University of
Southern California
Sponsor Contacts
Michael Viola, M.D.
Michael.Viola@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dean Cole, Ph.D.
Dean.Cole@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Send announcements and suggestions for
future issues to Dean Cole.
Mark Humayun, lead investigator of
the U.S. Department of Energy Arti-
ficial Retina Project, received the
prestigious Innovator of the Year
award for 2005 from R&D Magazine.
The award recognized him for creating
an implantable artificial retina that
promises to restore sight to blind
patients. Each year, this international
award recognizes one individual who
has demonstrated excellence and
creativity in the design, development,
and introduction to the marketplace
of one or more technologically signifi-
cant products over the past 5 years.
Humayun, a surgeon who also holds a
doctorate in biomedical engineering,
began working on the retinal implant
17 years ago. His inspiration, however,
goes back much further, to the mem-
ory of his beloved grandmother whose
decline was hastened by blindness in
old age.
Humayun is a professor of ophthal-
mology at the Keck School of Medicine
and of biomedical engineering in the
Viterbi School of Engineering at the
University of Southern California (USC).
He is also associate director of research
at the Doheny Eye Institute at USC. n
ArtificialRetina.energy. gov
Free Subscriptions and Extra Copies
of Artificial Retina News Available
To sign up for a subscription or request multiple copies of this newsletter,
see website ArtificialRetina.energy.gov or call 865.574.0597.
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