Retinal Prosthesis with Enhanced Thermal Imaging

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to develop and evaluate the utility of a thermal imaging system as an input modality to a retinal prosthetic. Retinal prostheses 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 severe to profound retinitis pigmentosa. The implanted epiretinal array provides a grid of electrodes. Electrical pulses at these sites stimulate the retina's remaining cells and result in te perception of patterns of light in the brain. Ordinary light and color information is difficult for wearers to effectively process in many important tasks with the limited perceived spatial resolution. Current compensation techniques in reduced resolution systems apply enhancement, magnification, and panning of visible light imagery, and these techniques have utility to retinal implants. However, other information sources, such as thermal imaging, more naturally align to the limited resolution of retinal arrays and improve the utility of the system i important tasks such as people finding and mobility. The proposed project seeks to provide thermal imagery as an input modality to retinal implants. Following successful development of a prototype thermal imaging system and promising results during tests in Argus II retinal prosthesis wearers in phase I, we are now proposing the development and validation of an integrated visible and thermal imaging system under phase II. A fully-integrated prototype system will be developed that includes visible and thermal cameras and associated digital signal processing software to provide user-controllable combined thermal/visible imagery options to prosthesis wearers. This new system will be evaluated in a substantial trial.