The fundamental goal of this potentially transformative research project is to investigate the feasibility of ultra compact optical imaging systems for ultraminiature cameras that are designed for chronic surgical implantation in the human body. Such ultraminiature cameras must be at once extremely small, very low mass, and very low power, as well as being both biocompatible and hermetically sealed for chronic implantation. Recent advances in biocompatible optical materials, optical systems design, and CMOS image sensor array technology potentially enable this extreme miniaturization. Biomedical imaging applications of such ultraminiature cameras include an intraocular camera for retinal prostheses, a wide field-of-view eye-tracked extraocular camera for retinal prostheses, a miniaturized eye-tracking camera, and bioimplantable cameras capable of post-surgical interrogation. In the intraocular camera application, the ultraminiature camera is designed for implantation within the human eye, with capability for partially restoring vision in those blinded by photoreceptor degenerating diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The intraocular camera is designed to couple directly to a pixellated microstimulator array that is proximity-coupled to the retinal surface. The development of such an ultraminiature intraocular camera (IOC) would eliminate the need for an external head-mounted or eyeglass-mounted camera in retinal prostheses, and provide for a completely implantable prosthetic device capable of restoring sight with foveation to the blind, at the same time relieving surgical complications.
