Visual prostheses are implantable medical devices that are able to provide some degree of vision to individuals who are blind. This research field is a challenging subject in both ophthalmology and basic science that has progressed to a point where there are already several commercially available devices. However, at present, these devices are only able to restore a very limited vision, with relatively low spatial resolution. Furthermore, there are still many other open scientific and technical challenges that need to be solved to achieve the therapeutic benefits envisioned by these new technologies. This paper provides a brief overview of significant developments in this field and introduces some of the technical and biological challenges that still need to be overcome to optimize their therapeutic success, including long-term viability and biocompatibility of stimulating electrodes, the selection of appropriate patients for each artificial vision approach, a better understanding of brain plasticity and the development of rehabilitative strategies specifically tailored for each patient.
Keywords: Artificial vision; Blindness; Brain plasticity; Phosphene; Restoration of sight.
© The Author(s) 2018.