Ultraminiature Imaging Systems for Biomedical Applications

1265062Tanguay这个潜在的变革性研究项目的基本目标是研究超小型摄像机的超紧凑光学成像系统的可行性，这些摄像机是为人体慢性手术植入而设计的。这种超小型相机必须同时非常小，非常低的质量和非常低的功率，以及生物相容性和长期植入的密封性。生物相容性光学材料、光学系统设计和CMOS图像传感器阵列技术的最新进展可能使这种极端小型化成为可能。这种超小型相机的生物医学成像应用包括用于视网膜假体的眼内相机、用于视网膜假体的宽视场眼跟踪眼外相机、小型化眼跟踪相机和能够进行术后询问的生物植入式相机。在眼内照相机应用中，超小型照相机被设计用于植入人眼内，具有部分恢复因感光体变性疾病（例如色素性视网膜炎（RP）和年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD））而失明的人的视力的能力。眼内相机被设计成直接耦合到像素化微刺激器阵列，该像素化微刺激器阵列邻近耦合到视网膜表面。这种超小型眼内摄像机（IOC）的开发将消除对视网膜假体中的外部头戴式或眼镜安装式摄像机的需要，并且提供能够恢复盲人的视觉并具有中央凹的完全可植入的假体装置，同时减轻手术并发症。

1265062TanguayThe fundamental goal of this potentially transformative research project is to investigate the feasibility of ultra compact optical imaging systems for ultraminiature cameras that are designed for chronic surgical implantation in the human body. Such ultraminiature cameras must be at once extremely small, very low mass, and very low power, as well as being both biocompatible and hermetically sealed for chronic implantation. Recent advances in biocompatible optical materials, optical systems design, and CMOS image sensor array technology potentially enable this extreme miniaturization. Biomedical imaging applications of such ultraminiature cameras include an intraocular camera for retinal prostheses, a wide field-of-view eye-tracked extraocular camera for retinal prostheses, a miniaturized eye-tracking camera, and bioimplantable cameras capable of post-surgical interrogation. In the intraocular camera application, the ultraminiature camera is designed for implantation within the human eye, with capability for partially restoring vision in those blinded by photoreceptor degenerating diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The intraocular camera is designed to couple directly to a pixellated microstimulator array that is proximity-coupled to the retinal surface. The development of such an ultraminiature intraocular camera (IOC) would eliminate the need for an external head-mounted or eyeglass-mounted camera in retinal prostheses, and provide for a completely implantable prosthetic device capable of restoring sight with foveation to the blind, at the same time relieving surgical complications.