gms | German Medical Science

Artificial Vision 2019

The International Symposium on Visual Prosthetics

13.12. - 14.12.2019, Aachen

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Surgical technique of the PRIMA photovoltaic retinal implant: from animal testing to implantation in humans

Meeting Abstract

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  • Mahi M.K. Muqit - Vitreoretinal Service, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London/UK; Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London/UK
  • J. P. Hubschman - Stein Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles/USA
  • S. Picard - Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris/F
  • D. B. McCreery - Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Pasadena/USA
  • J. C. van Meurs - Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam/NL; ErasmusMC, Rotterdam/NL
  • C. Nouvel-Jaillard - Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris/F
  • C-M. Fovet - Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), CEA, Fontenay aux Roses/F
  • P. Hantraye - Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), CEA, Fontenay aux Roses/F
  • J. Sahel - Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris/F; Hopital des Quinze Vingts, Paris/F; Retina and Vitreous Service, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh/USA; Fondation Ophtalmologique A. De Rothschild, Paris/F
  • J. N. Martel - Retina and Vitreous Service, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh/USA
  • Y. Le Mer - Fondation Ophtalmologique A. De Rothschild, Paris/F

Artificial Vision 2019. Aachen, 13.-14.12.2019. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2019. Doc19artvis30

doi: 10.3205/19artvis30, urn:nbn:de:0183-19artvis309

Published: December 10, 2019

© 2019 Muqit et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Outline

Text

Objective: To develop a surgical method for the implantation of a subretinal photovoltaic retinal implant.

Materials and methods: Cats and Macaca fascicularis primates with healthy retina underwent vitrectomy surgery and were implanted with subretinal wireless photovoltaic microchip at the macula/central retina. The 1.5mm PRIMA chip was initially studied in feline eyes. PRIMA implant (2mm,1.5mm sizes) arrays were studied in primates. Feasibility of subretinal chip implantation was evaluated with a novel surgical technique, with surgical complications and adverse events recorded.

Results: The 1.5mm implant was successfully placed in the central retina of 11 feline eyes, with implantation duration 43-106 days. The 1.5mm implant was successfully positioned into central macula of 11 primate eyes, with follow-up periods of minimum 6 weeks (n=11), 2 years (n=2), and one eye for 3 years. One primate eye underwent multi-chip 1.5mm implantation. The 2mm implant was delivered successfully to 4 primate eyes. Optical coherence tomography confirmed successful surgical placement of photovoltaic arrays in the subretinal space in all 26 eyes. Intraoperative complications in primate eyes included minor retinal and vitreous hemorrhage that resolved spontaneously. Postoperatively, there was no case of significant ocular inflammation in 1.5mm/2mm implant groups.

Discussion: We report successful subretinal implantation of 1.5mm and 2mm photovoltaic arrays in the central retina of feline and central macula of primate eyes with a low rate of device-related complications. The in vivo PRIMA implantation technique has been developed and refined for use for a 2mm PRIMA implant in ongoing human trials