Distance Filtering System for Retinal Implants

 描述(申请人提供)：我们建议开发和评估一种用于视网膜假体的新型输入摄像系统的实用性，该系统允许用户基于以下条件过滤光学图像 关于与观察者的距离。我们称之为“深度过滤”，这可以通过一个深度传感立体相机系统来完成。视网膜假体可以恢复因视网膜外退行性疾病如视网膜色素变性(RP)或黄斑变性而失明的人的部分视力。Argus II视网膜假体系统旨在为视网膜提供电刺激，以诱导因视网膜色素变性而(几乎)完全失明的盲人的视觉感知。植入的视网膜前阵列提供10×6栅格的电极。这60个像素位置的电脉冲刺激视网膜剩余的细胞，并导致对光模式的感知。目前的空间分辨率只有60个总像素，但为假肢用户提供图像信息的相机系统传输全分辨率视频信息。图像中的信息包括VIE领域内的所有可见项目，例如，从附近的障碍物到远处的山景。缺乏感知的空间分辨率使得假肢使用者极难区分场景内重要的附近元素和相对不重要的场景的远处元素，反之亦然。提出了一种图像捕获和处理系统，其选择性地移除观看场景中在用户设置的深度范围之外的元素。我们假设，通过只向佩戴者提供相关的视觉信息，系统在人员或物体发现和移动性等重要任务中的应用将减轻一些负担，并提高性能。拟议的项目寻求开发和试验距离过滤光学图像作为视网膜植入物的输入模式。将在Argus II患者身上指定、设计、建造和评估两个原型系统：在拟议项目的第一阶段，图像处理将由Argus II系统外部的计算机执行。在第二阶段，将使用功能更强大的下一代Argus II视频处理单元，能够执行图像处理。这将与新的双摄像头眼镜组件相结合，使第二阶段原型完全集成并准备在下一代Argus II系统中商业化，可能还会用于其他视觉假体系统和头盔电子低视力辅助器。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to develop and evaluate the utility of a novel input camera system for retinal prosthetics that allows users to filter optical imagery based on distance from the observer. We call this "depth filtering", which can be accomplished with a depth sensing stereoscopic camera system. Retinal prostheses can restore partial vision to people blinded by outer retinal degenerative diseases such as Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) or Macular Degeneration. The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System is intended to provide electrical stimulation of the retina to elicit visual perception in blind individuals with (near) total visionloss due to retinitis pigmentosa. The implanted epiretinal array provides a 10 x 6 grid of electrodes. Electrical pulses at these 60 pixel sites stimulate the retina's remaining cells and result in the perception of patterns of light. The current spatial resolution is only 60 total pixels, but the camera systems that provide image information to the prosthesis user transmit full-resolution video information. Information in the imagery consists of all visible items within the field of vie ranging for example from nearby obstacles to far away mountain scenery. The lack of perceived spatial resolution makes it extremely difficult for prosthesis users to differentiate between important nearby elements within the scene and relatively unimportant distant elements of the scenery, or vice versa. An image capture and processing system is proposed that selectively removes elements in a viewed scene that are outside a user-set depth range. We hypothesize that system utility in important tasks such as people or object finding and mobility will be less burden some, and performance improved, by providing only relevant visual information to the wearer. The proposed project seeks to develop and experiment with distance-filtered optical imagery as an input modality to retinal implants. Two prototype systems will be specified, designed, built and evaluated in Argus II patients: In phase 1 of the proposed project the image processing will be performed by a computer external to the Argus II system. In phase 2, a more powerful version of the next-generation Argus II video processing unit, capable of performing the image processing, will be utilized. This will be coupled with a new dual camera eyeglass assembly, making the phase 2 prototype fully integrated and ready for commercialization in the next generation Argus II system, and possibly in other visual prosthesis systems and head-mounted electronic low vision aids.