DEBANGI GOSWAMI

INTRODUCTION:Human

Visual System Eye Structure and Visual Defects Inception of Concept Description of ARTIFICIAL SILICON RETINA(ASR) Manufacture of ASR Real Time Operation Brief description of MARC device Limitation Conclusion and Future Scope References

For vision to occur, Scattered light from the object enters through the cornea. The light is projected onto the retina. The retina sends messages to the brain through the optic nerve. The brain interprets what the object is.

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF VISUAL SYSTEM

Structure of the Eye

The Retina

RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA

MACULAR DEGENARATION

Hereditary Genetic Disease Peripheral Rods degenerate Gradually progresses towards center of eye Spares the foveal region Tunnel vision results

Genetically Related Cones in Macula region degenrate Loss or damage of central vision Peripheral Retina spared Common among old people

Retinitis Pigmentosa
( Opthalmoscope View )
NORMAL EYE DEFECTIVE EYE

Macular Degeneration
(Opthalmoscope View)
NORMAL EYE DEFECTIVE EYE

BIRTH OF CONCEPT
Neither of these retinal diseases affects the ganglion cells or the optic nerve This means that if scientists can develop artificial cones and rods, information could still be sent to the brain for interpretation. This concept laid the foundation for the invention of the ARTIFICIAL VISION SYSTEM

Bionic eye restores the vision lost due to damage of Retinal cells

The current path that scientists are taking to create artificial vision received a jolt in 1988, when Dr. Mark Humayun demonstrated that a blind person could be made to see light by stimulating the nerve ganglia behind the retina with an electrical current.

This test proved that the nerves behind the retina still functioned even when the retina had degenerated.
Based on this information, scientists set out to create a device that could translate images and electrical pulses that could restore vision.

Bionic Eye: Two Approaches

MARC Multiple Unit Artificial Retina Chipset The images are captured by an external camera Processed and then transmitted to an implant on the retina. This in-turn will transmit it to the ganglion cells and then to the optic nerve Silicon Retina A retina is simulated on silicon The basic blueprint for this is the human eye itself The Silicon retina is implanted in the eye No external devices required

The ASR is a silicon chip 2 mm in diameter and 1/1000 inch thickness. It contains approximately 3,500 microscopic solar cells called "microphotodiodes,that are able to convert light into electrical pulses, mimicking the function of rods and cones

These micro photodiodes are designed to convert the light energy from images into thousands of tiny electrical impulses to stimulate the remaining functional cells of the retina in patients with AMD and RP types of conditions.

2mm ASR lying on top of penny

POWER: The ASR is powered solely by incident light and does not require the use of external wires or batteries.

Magnified image of ASR

Approaches Towards Retinal Prosthetic Implantation

Epiretinal Approach involves a semiconductor based device positioned on the surface of the retina to try to simulate the remaining overlying cells of the retina.
Subretinal Approach involves implanting the ASR chip behind the retina to simulate the remaining viable cells.

When surgically implanted under the retina, in a location known as the sub retinal space, the ASR is designed to produce visual signals to those produced by the photoreceptor layer.

From their sub retinal location these artificial "photoelectric" signals from the ASR are in a position to induce biological visual signals in the remaining functional retinal cells which may be processed and sent via the optic nerve to the brain

Visual sensations or phosphenes can be evoked by electrical stimulation of the different levels of the visual pathway.

IMPLANT DESIGN AND FABRICATION

Implants are comprised of a doped and ion-implanted silicon substrate disk to produce a PiN (positive-intrinsic-negative) junction. Fabrication begins with a 7.6-cm diameter semiconductor grade Ntype silicon wafer. For the MPA device, a photo mask is used to ion-implant shallow P+ doped wells into the front surface of the wafer, separated by channel stops in a pattern of individual micro photodiodes. An intrinsic layer automatically forms at the boundary between the P+-doped wells and the N-type substrate of the wafer.

Micro photodiodes

The back of the wafer is then ion-implanted to produce a N+ surface. Thereafter, an insulating layer of silicon nitrate is deposited on the front of the wafer, covering the entire surface except for the well openings. A thin adhesion layer, of chromium or titanium, is then deposited over the P+ and N+ layers. A transparent electrode layer of gold, iridium/iridium oxide, or platinum, is deposited on the front well side, and on the back ground side. In its simplest form, the photodiode and electrode layers are the same size. However, the current density available at each individual micro photodiode subunit can be increased by increasing the photodiode collector to electrode area ratio.

PROCESS (Contd.)

Camera on glasses views image Signals are sent to hand-held device Processed information is sent back to glasses and wirelessly transmitted to receiver under surface of eye Receiver sends information to electrodes in retinal implant Electrodes stimulate retina to send information to brain

Block diagram of the EPI-RET System

The issues involved in the design of the retinal prothesis are:

CHIP DEVELOPMENT BIOCOMPATIBILITY RF TELEMETRY AND POWER SYSTEMS

ASR implanted into the eye

Multiple Unit Artificial Retina Chipset (MARC) The Concept

Uses a ccd camera input

Laser beam or rf to transmit the image into the chip present in the retina . A resolution of 100 pixels is achieved by using a 10x10 array. A platinum or rubber silicon electrode array placed inside the eye to stimulate the cells called MARC CHIP

The MARC System

MARC System Block Diagram

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MARC Hermetic Sealing and Positioning

MARC Chips

The Electrode Array

Photograph of MARC Chip

MARC surgical configuration

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COST :The surgery is costly till date. May not work for people blinded as children or as infants, because the visual cortex do not develop normally.

Its been 40 years since Arne Larsson received the first fully implanted cardiac pacemaker at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Researchers throughout the world have looked for ways to improve people's lives with artificial, bionic devices. Bionic devices are being developed to do more than replace defective parts. Researchers are also using them to fight illnesses. Providing power to run bionic implants and making connections to the brain's control system pose the two great challenges for biomedical engineering. We are now looking at devices like bionic arms, tongues, noses etc.

1.Humayun MS, de Juan E Jr., Dagnelie G, et al. Visual perception elicited by electrical stimulation of retina in blind humans. Archives of Ophthalmology; vol 114. 2. Artificial Vision for the Blind by Connecting a Television Camera to the Brain" ASAIO Journal 2000 WEB: www.artificialvision.com www.howstuffworks.com www.wikipedia.org www.itotd.com