Visual prostheses for the blind.
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Date
2013-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
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, their advantages and drawbacks; the perceptual effects evoked by electrical stimulation, as well as the role played by plasticity and training in clinical outcomes.
Description
Keywords
Neural Prostheses, Electrical Stimulation, Electrodes, Blindness, Bionic Vision
Citation
Shepherd RK, Shivdasani MN, Nayagam DAX, Williams CE & Blamey PJ (2013). Visual prostheses for the blind. Trends in Biotechnology 31 (10): 562-571