Hybrid retinal prosthesis utilizing bioadhesives for reversible attachment

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Premitec, Inc., in collaboration with the Doheny Eye Institute at the University of Southern California has developed novel, 3-dimensional wide field microelectrode arrays (3D-WFA) for retinal prosthesis. These devices can double the visual field for retinal prostheses versus the devices currently being tested in clinical trials. The electrode arrays have a 10-mm diameter area of contact with the retina, thus enabling a wide field of vision. This work is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke (NINDS) at NIH. A conclusion of our results so far is that the large area polyimide array, although it has a three dimensional curvature to match an "average" eye, nonetheless has the tendency sometimes to separate from the retina, particularly at the edges, due to difficulty of the implant procedure, the nature of the polyimide array edge and variation in eye curvature. In addition use of a single retinal tack to affix the prosthesis to the retina not only damages the retina at the insertion site but also leads to greater non-uniformity in distance to the retina across the array. To address these shortcoming we propose to develop a novel hybrid silicone/polyimide wide-field array and eliminate the tack altogether. Recently we have demonstrated that the silicone surface can be modified to bind an adhesive protein which also binds strongly to the inner limiting membrane of the retina, and more generally to brain and other tissues. Replacing the tack with an adhesive will virtually eliminate the distance between the electrode and the retina, and thus reduces the stimulus threshold. By incorporating adhesive-silicone technology into the design of the 3D-WFA, we can address two important issues: increase implant safety by reducing the likelihood of retina damage and improve implant efficacy by reducing the distance between the array and the retina. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Advancements in microfabrication and materials have made possible the development of flexible neural interfaces. These medical devices are targeted at treating incurable neurological disorders and solve difficult technical problems that are limiting the capability of neural implant devices. Such diseases are widespread in the population as a whole and their impact on individual health is profound. The progress made by us so far with support from NINDS through Phase II SBIR demonstrates that our technology has the potential to lead to a successful commercialization of complex and challenging neural interfaces like the retinal stimulator and make a real impact on public health by increasing the capability of implantable neural prostheses.