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Title: Wireless link and microelectronics design for retinal prostheses

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1346986· OSTI ID:1346986
 [1]
  1. Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States)

This project focuses on delivering power and data to the artificial retinal implant inside the eye and the implant microstimulator electronics which delivers the current pulses to stimulate the retinal layer to elicit visual perception. Since the use of invasive means such as tethering wires to transmit power and data results in discomfort to the patients which could eventually cause infection due to the abrasion caused by the wire and contact of the internals of the eye to the external environment, a completely wireless approach is used to transfer both power and data. Power is required inside the eye for the microelectronic implant which uses a dual voltage supply scheme (positive and negative) to deliver biphasic (anodic and cathodic) current pulses. Data in the form of digital bits from the data transmitter external to the eye, carries information about the amplitude, phase width, interphase delay, stimulation sequence for each implant electrode. The data receiver unit decodes the digital stream and the microstimulator unit generates the appropriate current stimuli. Since the external unit consisting of the power transmitter can experience coupling a variation with the power receiver due to the patient’s movements, a closed loop approach is used which varies the transmitted power dynamically to automatically compensate for such movements. This report presents the salient features of this research activities and results.

Research Organization:
Regents of the Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science and Technology (ST)
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-04ER63750
OSTI ID:
1346986
Report Number(s):
Final Report-1; N/A
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English