Behavioural responses to a photovoltaic subretinal prosthesis implanted in non-human primates

Nat Biomed Eng. 2020 Feb;4(2):172-180. doi: 10.1038/s41551-019-0484-2. Epub 2019 Dec 2.

Abstract

Retinal dystrophies and age-related macular degeneration related to photoreceptor degeneration can cause blindness. In blind patients, although the electrical activation of the residual retinal circuit can provide useful artificial visual perception, the resolutions of current retinal prostheses have been limited either by large electrodes or small numbers of pixels. Here we report the evaluation, in three awake non-human primates, of a previously reported near-infrared-light-sensitive photovoltaic subretinal prosthesis. We show that multipixel stimulation of the prosthesis within radiation safety limits enabled eye tracking in the animals, that they responded to stimulations directed at the implant with repeated saccades and that the implant-induced responses were present two years after device implantation. Our findings pave the way for the clinical evaluation of the prosthesis in patients affected by dry atrophic age-related macular degeneration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Eye Movement Measurements
  • Macaca fascicularis
  • Macular Degeneration / physiopathology
  • Macular Degeneration / rehabilitation*
  • Male
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / physiology
  • Saccades*
  • Vision, Ocular / physiology*
  • Visual Perception*
  • Visual Prosthesis*