Retinal stimulator
First Claim
1. A system for stimulating physiologically excitable cells of a retina of an eye to generate a psychophysical response, said system comprising:
- a transmitter for transmitting into the eye, an electromagnetic radio frequency carrier modulated by an encoded visual image signal, and an implant within the eye for receiving the modulated carrier and demodulating the encoded visual image signal therefrom, and for decoding the encoded visual image signal and converting the decoded signal into an electrical stimulation signal for delivery to the physiologically excitable cells of the retina to thereby generate the psychophysical response.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus facilitating the delivery of electrical stimulation to physiologically excitable retinal nerve cells includes: (a), a receiver/decoder/stimulator comprising a semiconductor integrated circuit and other components hermetically sealed within a capsule, implanted and fixed within the eye of the patient such that it may receive power, and decode information from (b), an externally worn image processor/encoder/transmitter comprising an image detector, an image processor capable of translating the image into an array of discreet pixels of varying intensity, encoding the pixel information into a series of discreet data bursts representing the chosen current amplitude, pulse duration, stimulating electrode or electrodes, and reference electrode or electrodes, and transmitting this data to the receiver/decoder/stimulator through a tuned, inductive communication link such that the system may deliver controlled, charge balanced, diphasic, constant current stimulus pulses to (c), discreet metallic electrodes on a flexible, multiple site electrode array implanted on, near or under the surface of the retina. The apparatus provides for flexibility in the external image processing system such that future advancements in processing techniques shall not require revision surgery or modification to the implanted receiver/decoder/stimulator. Safeguards to protect the patient from the delivery of inappropriate stimulus are incorporated into the apparatus, and a method of external collection of diagnostic data from the implanted receiver/decoder/stimulator is described.
802 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for stimulating physiologically excitable cells of a retina of an eye to generate a psychophysical response, said system comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting into the eye, an electromagnetic radio frequency carrier modulated by an encoded visual image signal, and an implant within the eye for receiving the modulated carrier and demodulating the encoded visual image signal therefrom, and for decoding the encoded visual image signal and converting the decoded signal into an electrical stimulation signal for delivery to the physiologically excitable cells of the retina to thereby generate the psychophysical response. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for stimulating physiologically excitable cells of a retina of an eye, said system comprising:
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an image processor for processing a captured image into an array of discrete pixels, each having a particular intensity, an encoder for encoding said array of discrete pixels into an encoded data signal, a transmitter for transmitting the encoded data signal in sequential bursts, to a receiver within the eye for receiving the encoded data signal transmitted from the transmitter, a decoder within the eye for converting the encoded data signal received by the receiver into stimulus signals, and a stimulator within the eye for selectively stimulating the physiologically excitable cells of the retina as a function of the stimulus signals.
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14. A system for stimulating physiologically excitable cells of a retina of an eye, said system comprising:
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an image processor for processing a captured image into an array of discreet pixels, each having a particular intensity, an encoder for encoding said array of discrete pixels into an encoded data signal, a transmitter for transmitting the encoded data signal in sequential bursts to a receiver within the eye for receiving the encoded data signal transmitted from the transmitter, a decoder within the eye for converting the encoded data signal received by the receiver into stimulus signals whenever a pre-determined data protocol associated with encoded data signal is satisfied, and a stimulator within the eye for selectively stimulating the physiologically excitable cells of the retina as a function of the stimulus signals.
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15. A system for stimulating the physiologically excitable cells of a retina of an eye, said system comprising:
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an image processor for processing a captured image into an array of discreet pixels, each having a particular intensity, an encoder for encoding said array of discreet pixels into an encoded data signal, a transmitter for transmitting the encoded data signal in sequential bursts to a receiver within the eye for receiving the encoded data signal transmitted from the transmitter, a decoder within the eye for converting'"'"'the encoded data signal received by the receiver into stimulus signals, and a stimulator within the eye for selectively stimulating the physiologically excitable cells of the retina as a function of the stimulus signals and for charge balancing said stimulation signal by grouping each of said electrodes into two or more groups and providing each group with a series arranged capacitive element.
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16. A retinal stimulation system for use in a patient, said system comprising:
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an implant for receiving power and configuration data transmitted by an external device having the ability to process, encode and transmit an external image, an external telemetry detector for receiving data from said implant and for deriving a change in electrical potential across the stimulation circuit, and an external processor for controlling adjusting the image processing procedure and stimulus parameters of the implant.
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17. An eye implant for stimulating a retina of an eye to generate a psychophysical response, said implant comprising:
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a receiver for receiving an electromagnetic radio frequency carrier modulated by an encoded visual image signal, and for demodulating the encoded visual image signal therefrom, a decoder for converting the encoded visual image signal into stimulus signals, and a stimulator for selectively stimulating the retina as a function of the stimulus signals.
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18. A method of enabling a phosphene to be produced, in response to stimulation of nerve cells in a being, said method comprising the steps of.
obtaining and dividing a visual image into an array of discrete regions, extracting visually related intensity data for each of said discrete regions, producing a sequence of encoded image data comprising at least, said intensity data and a unique address for each of said regions, transmitting said encoded image data over a tuned inductive link, receiving and decoding said image data into a plurality of stimulus signals having both position and intensity attributes, and applying said stimulus signals to nerve cells which are capable of producing the phosphene.
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19. A method of stimulating a retina of an eye to generate a psychophysical response, said method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting an electromagnetic radio frequency carrier modulated by an encoded visual image signal into the eye; and
within the eye, receiving the modulated carrier, demodulating the encoded visual image signal therefrom, decoding the encoded visual image signal, converting the decoded signal into an electrical stimulation signal and delivering the electrical stimulation signal to the retina to thereby generate the psychophysical response.
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20. A method of stimulating a retina of an eye to generate a psychophysical response, said method comprising the steps of:
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processing a captured image into an array of discrete pixels, each having a particular intensity, encoding said array of discrete pixels into an encoded data signal;
transmitting the encoded data signal in sequential bursts, to a receiver within the eye, receiving the encoded data signal by said receiver and converting the encoded data signal into stimulus signals; and
selectively stimulating the retina as a function of the stimulus signals.
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Specification