This project is designed to evaluate the feasibility of a visual prosthesis for totally blind individuals by stimulating chronically implanted microelectrodes in the visual cortex. The project was reviewed by outside consultants and recommendation was made for continuation. Space in Building 49 has been assigned to the project for construction of a class 1000 clean room where complete fabrication of the microelectrode arrays for the next patient will be carried out. The protocol for the next patient has been approved by the Human Review Committee and will be sent next to the FDA for approval. A collaborative arrangement has been established with the Lions Vision Center at Johns Hopkins University for psychophysical testing in humans. A simulation device similar to one developed at Johns Hopkins is under development at the NIH for testing the ability of sighted subjects to utilize displays similar to phosphene patterns that blind subjects will experience. This will allow us to test the software algorithms used by our computer stimulation system prior to implanting the blind patient. Techniques are being developed in conjunction with the University of Maryland to construct three dimensional models of the human brain and skull of the patient from MRI data for surgical planning of the implantation. Primates will be implanted, during FY97, with the same type of percutaneous connectors and microelectrode arrays that will be used with the human implant to provide safety and reliability data. The next patient is expected to be implanted during FY98.
