Article
Development of a foldable and photovoltaic wide-field epiretinal prosthesis
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Published: | December 10, 2019 |
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Objective: Our goal is to develop a foldable and photovoltaic wide-field epiretinal prosthesis to restore a large visual field and a high acuity in patients affected by outer retinal dystrophies, such as Retinitis pigmentosa.
Materials and methods: A photovoltaic strategy has been chosen to deliver visual information: upon light projection, the pixels generate a photovoltage able to stimulate the neurons located nearby. The photovoltaic pixels, made of conjugated polymers, are fabricated freestanding and with high density onto a stretchable PDMS membrane, which is then bonded to a support matching the curvature of the eye. The implant is designed to be folded and injected into the eye through a small scleral incision, allowing the pixels to be distributed over a large area and covering a wide visual field.
Results: We designed a novel, foldable, and wide-field epiretinal prosthesis based on organic electronic materials and capable of wireless photovoltaic stimulation of retinal ganglion cells. The prosthesis covers an active area of 132 mm2 and about 45 ° of visual field, embedding more than 10’000 pixels (79 pixels per mm-2) of 90 µm in diameter. These are made by PEDOT:PSS, P3HT:PCBM, and titanium. The interface has proven to activate retinal ganglion cells in explanted, blind, Rd10 mice retinas. Also, it fulfills optical and thermal safety requirements, and it is not cytotoxic. Last, the flexibility of the manufacturing allows the production of the spherical prostheses adjusted to the real curvature of the eye.
Discussion: We documented a foldable and photovoltaic wide-field epiretinal prosthesis with a remarkable increase in its retinal coverage and in the number of stimulating pixels.
Acknowledgment: This work was financially supported by École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Medtronic, Velux Stiftung (Project 1102), Fondation Pierre Mercier pour la science, Pro Visu, and Gebert Rüf Stiftung (Project GRS-035/17).