Retinal prosthesis with side mounted inductive coil

• US 7,228,181 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2004
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cortigent Incorporated, Doheny Eye Institute, Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Agrawal, Rajat, Greenberg, Robert J., Mech, Brian V., Little, James Singleton, Chang, Da-Yu, Wilkin, Kevin, Humayun, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SARCIONE, JESSICA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US10/820,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20050222624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 607 53- 54, 607/116, 607/141, 607/148, 623/5.14, 623/6.11, 623/6.22, 623/6.38, 623/6.43, 623/6.63, 623/4.1
• US Class Current: 607/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0543 Retinal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36046 of the eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

The invention is a retinal prosthesis with an inductive coil mounted to the side of the eye by means of a strap around the eye. This allows for close coupling to an external coil and movement of the entire implanted portion with movement of the eye ball.

Claims

1. A retinal prosthesis comprising:

an electrode array suitable to be mounted in close proximity to a retina;

an electronics package;

an electrical cable coupling said electrode array to said electronics package, said

electrical cable suitable to pierce the pars plana region of a sclera;

a secondary inductive coil, electrically coupled to said electronics package and suitable to be mounted to a side of the sclera;

wherein said cable and electrode array comprise metal traces sandwiched between thin polymer films; and

said cable is folded to present a same side of side cable to both said electronics package and the retina.

2. A retinal prosthesis comprising:

an electrode array suitable to be mounted in close proximity to a retina;

an electronics package;

an electrical cable coupling said electrode array to said electronics package, said

electrical cable suitable to pierce a the pars plana region of a sclera;

a secondary inductive coil, electrically coupled to said electronics package and suitable to be mounted to a side of the sclera;

a strap connected to said secondary inductive coil and surrounding the sclera; and

a fan tail, having a decreasing radius of curvature, connected to said electronics package and to said cable to facilitate passing said cable through the sclera.

3. A retinal prosthesis comprising:

an electrode array suitable to be mounted in close proximity to a retina;

an electronics package;

an electrical cable coupling said electrode array to said electronics package;

a secondary inductive coil, electrically coupled to said electronics package and suitable to be mounted to a side of a skull outside an orbit of an eye;

a first passive coil suitable to be mounted within a body on a side of a skull; and

a second passive coil electrically coupled to said first passive coil and suitable to be mounted within the body proximate to said secondary inductive coil.

4. A retinal prosthesis comprising:

an electrode array suitable to be mounted in close proximity to a retina;

an electronics package;

an electrical cable coupling said electrode array to said electronics package;

a fan tail, having a decreasing radius, connected to said electronics package; and

a secondary inductive coil, electrically coupled to said electronics package and suitable to be mounted to the side of a sclera.

5. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 4 wherein said fantail is connected to said cable to facilitate passing said cable through the sclera.

6. A retinal prosthesis comprising:

an electrode array suitable to be mounted in close proximity to a retina;

an electronics package;

a folded electrical cable coupling said electrode array to said electronics package;

and a secondary inductive coil, electrically coupled to said electronics package and suitable to be mounted to a side of a sclera.

7. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 6, wherein said cable is folded to present a same side of said cable to both said electronics package and the retina.