Built-in-eye- eyesight stimulating apparatus

• US 20040098067A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshida, Norikatsu, Nishimura, Shigeru, Ohta, Jun, Kagawa, Keiichiro, Idegami, Kohtaro
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/08 Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36046 of the eye

Abstract

An object of the invention is to provide an intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit which is capable of outputting a bipolar pulse signal in a simple constitution, and is highly sensitive, compact, and low power consumptive.

In the invention, an intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit for artificially generating the vision or a portion of the vision includes: a photoelectric conversion circuit for converting incoming light into an electrical signal; a pulse conversion circuit for converting the electrical signal outputted from the photoelectric conversion circuit into an electric pulse signal of a frequency corresponding to a magnitude thereof, and for outputting the same; a waveform shaping circuit for converting the pulse signal outputted from the pulse conversion circuit into a bipolar pulse signal, and for outputting the same; a power supply circuit for supplying electric power to each of the circuits, wherein the bipolar pulse signal is imparted to a retinal region through an electrode.

Claims

1. An intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit for artificially generating the vision or a portion of the vision, comprising:

a photoelectric conversion circuit which converts incoming light into an electrical signal;

a pulse conversion circuit which converts the electrical signal outputted from the photoelectric conversion circuit into an electric pulse signal of a frequency corresponding to a magnitude of the electrical signal, and outputs the electric pulse signal;

a waveform shaping circuit which converts the pulse signal outputted from the pulse conversion circuit into a bipolar pulse signal, and outputs the bipolar pulse signal;

a power supply circuit which supplies electric power to each of the circuits,

wherein the bipolar pulse signal is imparted to a retinal region through an electrode.

2. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion circuit, the pulse conversion circuit, and the waveform shaping circuit are implanted beneath the retina.

3. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 1, wherein the pulse conversion circuit includes a voltage control circuit which controls a bias voltage to the photoelectric conversion circuit, a pulse circuit converts the electrical signal outputted from the photoelectric conversion circuit into the electric pulse signal, and a coupling circuit which couples the pulse signal outputted from the pulse circuit to the voltage control circuit.

4. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 3, wherein the pulse circuit includes an inverter or a Schmitt trigger whose input voltage is an output voltage of the photoelectric conversion circuit, and the coupling circuit connects a final output side of the pulse circuit and the voltage control circuit.

5. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 4, wherein as the inverter or the Schmitt trigger of the pulse circuit, a plurality of inverters or Schmitt triggers are connected in series in an odd number.

6. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 3, wherein the voltage control circuit includes transistors for switching which are respectively connected to a bias power supply of the power supply circuit, the photoelectric conversion circuit, and the coupling circuit.

7. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 4, wherein the voltage control circuit includes a resistor inserted in series between the photoelectric conversion circuit and the coupling circuit, and a capacitor inserted in parallel with the photoelectric conversion circuit.

8. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 7, wherein the resistor includes a transistor whose resistance value is variable.

9. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 1, wherein the waveform shaping circuit includes a differentiating circuit which outputs the pulse signal outputted from the pulse conversion circuit as a pulse signal having a differential waveform.

10. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 9, wherein the differentiating circuit includes a resistor and a capacitor.

11. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 10, wherein the resistor includes a transistor whose resistance value is variable.

12. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit includes at least one of a circuit which supplies electric power from a wiring physically connected to an outside, a circuit which supplies electric power by making use of electromagnetic waves from the outside, and a circuit which supplies electric power by generating electricity by the heat of a human body.

13. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 1, wherein the pulse conversion circuit includes a frequency modulation circuit which sets the frequency of the pulse signal to a substantially fixed level when the magnitude of the electrical signal outputted from the photoelectric conversion circuit is not more than a first reference value or not less than a second reference value greater than the first reference value, and varies the frequency of the pulse signal in correspondence with the magnitude of the electrical signal when the magnitude of the electrical signal is not less than the first reference value and not more than the second reference value.

14. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 13, wherein the pulse conversion circuit further includes an amplitude modulation circuit which varies an amplitude of the pulse signal in correspondence with the magnitude of the electrical signal when the magnitude of the electrical signal outputted from the photoelectric conversion circuit is not more than the first reference value or not less than the second reference value, and sets the amplitude of the pulse signal to a substantially fixed level when the magnitude of the electrical signal is not less than the first reference value and not more than the second reference value.

15. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 13, wherein the frequency modulation circuit includes a voltage control circuit which controls a bias voltage to the photoelectric conversion circuit, an odd number of inverters or Schmitt triggers whose input voltage is an output voltage of the photoelectric conversion circuit, and a coupling circuit which couples the pulse signal outputted from the inverter or the Schmitt trigger to the voltage control circuit, and is arranged to set a lower limit frequency by regulating a charging leak source and a discharging leak source with respect to the photoelectric conversion circuit, and to set an upper limit frequency by providing a frequency filter before or after the inverter or the Schmitt trigger.

16. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a waveform memory which stores a predetermined electrical stimulation waveform; and

a timing control circuit which reads the electrical stimulation waveform from the waveform memory by obtaining an output of the pulse signal from the pulse conversion circuit.

17. An intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit for artificially generating the vision or a portion of the vision, comprising:

a photoelectric conversion circuit which converts incoming light into an electrical signal;

a pulse shaping circuit which shapes the electrical signal outputted from the photoelectric conversion circuit into an electric pulse signal corresponding to a magnitude of the electrical signal; and

a power supply circuit which supplies electric power to each of the circuits,

wherein the pulse signal is imparted to a retinal region through an electrode.

18. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 17, wherein the pulse shaping circuit includes a circuit which modulates an amplitude of the pulse signal of a predetermined frequency into an amplitude corresponding to the magnitude of the electrical signal outputted from the photoelectric conversion circuit.

19. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 18, wherein the pulse shaping circuit includes a circuit which modulates the pulse signal into a bipolar pulse signal in which absolute values of the amplitude are identical but polarities of the amplitude are opposite.

20. The intraocular implant-type vision stimulating unit according to claim 17, wherein the pulse shaping circuit includes a circuit which changes the number of pulse signals of a predetermined frequency in a predetermined time duration in correspondence with the magnitude of the electrical signal outputted from the photoelectric conversion circuit.