A close up of a robotic eye held between a gloved thumb and a pointer finger.
Overview
Bionic Eyes are artificial devices designed to restore some level of functional vision in individuals with partial or total blindness by electrically stimulating the retina, optic nerve, or visual cortex.
Types of Visual Prostheses
There are several types of visual prostheses under development, targeting different parts of the visual system:
Retinal Implants
These devices are implanted directly onto or beneath the retina and stimulate the remaining healthy retinal cells. Examples include:
Argus II (epiretinal)
Alpha IMS (subretinal)
PRIMA (photovoltaic subretinal)
Optic Nerve Implants
These devices stimulate the optic nerve directly using a cuff electrode. The Microsystem-based Visual Prosthesis (MIVP) is an example of this approach.
Cortical Implants
These devices bypass the eye and optic nerve altogether, stimulating the visual cortex directly. Examples include:
Intracortical Visual Prosthesis
Dobelle Eye
Overview
Bionic Eyes are artificial devices designed to restore some level of functional vision in individuals with partial or total blindness by electrically stimulating the retina, optic nerve, or visual cortex.
Types of Visual Prostheses
There are several types of visual prostheses under development, targeting different parts of the visual system:
Retinal Implants
These devices are implanted directly onto or beneath the retina and stimulate the remaining healthy retinal cells. Examples include:
Argus II (epiretinal)
Alpha IMS (subretinal)
PRIMA (photovoltaic subretinal)
Optic Nerve Implants
These devices stimulate the optic nerve directly using a cuff electrode. The Microsystem-based Visual Prosthesis (MIVP) is an example of this approach.
Cortical Implants
These devices bypass the eye and optic nerve altogether, stimulating the visual cortex directly. Examples include:
Intracortical Visual Prosthesis
Dobelle Eye
Overview
Bionic Eyes are artificial devices designed to restore some level of functional vision in individuals with partial or total blindness by electrically stimulating the retina, optic nerve, or visual cortex.
Types of Visual Prostheses
There are several types of visual prostheses under development, targeting different parts of the visual system:
Retinal Implants
These devices are implanted directly onto or beneath the retina and stimulate the remaining healthy retinal cells. Examples include:
Argus II (epiretinal)
Alpha IMS (subretinal)
PRIMA (photovoltaic subretinal)
Optic Nerve Implants
These devices stimulate the optic nerve directly using a cuff electrode. The Microsystem-based Visual Prosthesis (MIVP) is an example of this approach.
Cortical Implants
These devices bypass the eye and optic nerve altogether, stimulating the visual cortex directly. Examples include:
Intracortical Visual Prosthesis
Dobelle Eye
