Retinal prosthesis techniques
First Claim
1. Apparatus configured for implantation in a body of a subject, comprising:
- an implantable array of at least 10 subsets of 3 or more electrodes; and
for each subset, a respective power supply configured to provide current to the electrodes in the subset,wherein at least some of the electrodes in each subset are configured to drive respective electrical charges into tissue of the subject.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus is provided including an external device including, a mount, which is placed in front of an eye of a subject. A power source is coupled to the mount and emits energy toward the eye. An intraocular device is implanted entirely in the subject'"'"'s eye, and includes a control unit, a plurality of stimulating electrodes, and an energy receiver, which receives the energy from the power source and generates a voltage drop in response. A plurality of photosensors detect photons and generate a signal in response. Driving circuitry is coupled to the energy receiver and to the photosensors, and drives the electrodes to apply electrical charges to a retina in response to the signals from the photosensors. The external device modulates the emitted energy, and the control unit demodulates the modulated energy to regulate an operation parameter of the intraocular device. Other embodiments are also described.
312 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. Apparatus configured for implantation in a body of a subject, comprising:
-
an implantable array of at least 10 subsets of 3 or more electrodes; and for each subset, a respective power supply configured to provide current to the electrodes in the subset, wherein at least some of the electrodes in each subset are configured to drive respective electrical charges into tissue of the subject. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. Apparatus, comprising:
-
an external device, comprising; a mount, configured to be placed in front of an eye of a subject; and a power source coupled to the mount and configured to emit energy toward the eye; and an intraocular device configured to be implanted entirely in the subject'"'"'s eye, the intraocular device comprising; a light receiving element configured to switch between; a first time period, during which the light receiving element receives the energy from the power source and generates a voltage drop in response thereto; and a second time period, during which the light receiving element detects photons and generates a signal in response thereto; a control unit configured to regulate the switch between the first and second time periods; a plurality of stimulating electrodes; and driving circuitry, coupled to the light receiving element, and configured to utilize the voltage drop to drive the electrodes to apply electrical charges to a retina of the eye in response to the signal from the light receiving element. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
-
8. Apparatus configured for implantation in an eye of a subject, comprising:
-
an intraocular device comprising; a plurality of photosensors, each photosensor configured to detect photons and to generate a signal in response thereto; an array of at least 10 subsets of two or more electrodes; and a control unit, configured to drive at least some of the electrodes in each subset to non-simultaneously apply respective electrical charges into a retina of the subject, in response to photons detected generally simultaneously by respective ones of the photosensors. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. Apparatus, comprising:
-
an external device, comprising; a mount, configured to be placed in front of an eye of a subject; and a power source coupled to the mount and configured to emit energy toward the eye; and an intraocular device configured to be implanted entirely in the subject'"'"'s eye, the intraocular device comprising a die comprising; an energy receiver, configured to receive the energy from the power source and to generate a voltage drop in response thereto; and a plurality of photosensors, each photosensor configured to detect photons and to generate a signal in response thereto, wherein the intraocular device further comprises an additional die, the additional die comprising; a plurality of stimulating electrodes; and driving circuitry, coupled to the energy receiver and to the photosensors, and configured to utilize the voltage drop to drive the electrodes to apply electrical charges to a retina of the eye in response to the signals from the photosensors, the additional die being sized such that the plurality of stimulating electrodes is configured to cover an area of the retina that is larger than an area of the plurality of photosensors. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification