Patterned electrical stimulation of the retina for high-resolution prostheses

项目概要/摘要 我的研究的长期目标是了解的视觉信号功能， 视网膜，并利用这一知识来治疗失明。的主要目标 拟议的工作是开发精确的、图案化的多电极刺激技术 视网膜，目的是推进高分辨率视网膜假体的开发 用于替代因变性而受损的视网膜功能的装置。具体目标包括 (1)引起灵长类动物主要高分辨率神经节细胞类型的电活动 视网膜，以及退化大鼠视网膜中的几种神经节细胞类型，（2）选择性 刺激单个细胞以实现正常细胞的基本空间和时间分辨率， 视觉信号传输到大脑，同时避免刺激轴突，在视网膜的范围内， 偏心率，和（3）唤起的空间和时空模式的人口活动， 神经节细胞，可以模仿通常传输到大脑的复杂视觉信号。我们 将运用我们独特的技术，同时独立地刺激和记录 许多神经节细胞在体外，使用电极阵列可比，但小得多， 比目前的视网膜修复术中使用的更致密。我们将利用这项技术 新的方法，重点和模式刺激，以模仿视觉信号，包括发展 针对中央视网膜的新技术。我们还将利用我们的经验， 灵长类视网膜与P23 H突变大鼠视网膜变性模型的相关性最大化 治疗失明的研究成果。我们的愿景是，这项工作将有助于设计下一个 支持高级视觉功能的视网膜修复装置的产生 识别和运动感知。

Project Summary/Abstract The long-term objectives of my research are to understand the visual signaling function of the retina and to exploit this knowledge for the treatment of blindness. The major goal of the proposed work is to develop techniques for precise, patterned multi-electrode stimulation of the retina, with the purpose of advancing the development of high-resolution retinal prosthetic devices to replace the function of retinas damaged by degeneration. The specific aims involve (1) evoking electrical activity in the major high-resolution ganglion cell types of the primate retina, as well as several ganglion cell types in the degenerating rat retina, (2) selectively stimulating individual cells to achieve the elementary spatial and temporal resolution of normal visual signals transmitted to the brain while avoiding stimulation of axons, over a range of retinal eccentricities, and (3) evoking spatial and spatiotemporal patterns of activity in populations of ganglion cells that can mimic the complex visual signals normally transmitted to the brain. We will apply our unique technology to simultaneously and independently stimulate and record from many ganglion cells in vitro, using an array of electrodes comparable to but much smaller and denser than those used in current retinal prosthetics. We will exploit this technology to develop new methods for focal and patterned stimulation to mimic visual signals, including development of novel technologies to target the central retina. We will also leverage our experience with the primate retina and the P23H mutant rat model of retinal degeneration to maximize the relevance of the findings for treating blindness. Our vision is that the work will aid the design of the next generation of retinal prosthetic devices to support advanced visual functions such as object recognition and motion sensing in human patients.