Neural interface for a cortical vision prosthesis

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Publication Type Journal Article
School or College School of Medicine; College of Engineering
Department Ophthalmology; Bioengineering; Surgery; Physiology
Creator Normann, Richard A.; Maynard, Edwin M.
Other Author Rousche, Patrick J.; Warren, David J.
Title Neural interface for a cortical vision prosthesis
Date 1999
Description The development of a cortically based vision prosthesis has been hampered by a lack of basic experiments on phosphene psychophysics. This basic research has been hampered by the lack of a means to safely stimulate large numbers of cortical neurons. Recently, a number of laboratories have developed arrays of silicon microelectrodes that could enable such basic studies on phosphene psychophysics. This paper describes one such array, the Utah electrode array, and summarizes neurosurgical, physiological and histological experiments that suggest that such an array could be implanted safely in visual cortex. We also summarize a series of chronic behavioral experiments that show that modest levels of electrical currents passed into cortex via this array can evoke sensory percepts. Pending the successful outcome of biocompatibility studies using such arrays, high count arrays of penetrating microelectrodes similar to this design could provide a useful tool for studies of the psychophysics of phosphene perception in human volunteers. Such studies could provide a proof-of-concept for cortically based artificial vision.
Type Text
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Volume 39
Issue 15
First Page 2577
Last Page 2587
Subject Neuroprosthetics; Artificial Vision; Electrode Arrays; Multielectrode Recordings; Biocompatibility
Subject MESH Prostheses and Implants; Visual Cortex; Microelectrodes; Blindness; Biocompatible Materials
Language eng
Bibliographic Citation Normann RA, Maynard EM, Rousche PJ, Warren DJ. (1999). A neural interface for a cortical vision prosthesis. Vision Res, 39(15), 2577-87
Rights Management © Cambridge University Press
Format Medium application/pdf
Identifier ir-main,12749
ARK ark:/87278/s6qf9bgb
Setname ir_uspace
ID 706873
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6qf9bgb