Project description
A new type of cortical visual prosthesis
Approximately 40 million people worldwide are blind. Restoring vision in these individuals is a significant scientific goal. However, due to degeneration of the connection between the eye and the brain, vision can currently only be restored in areas such as the visual cortex. The ERC-funded PROVISO project aims to test a new cortical visual prosthesis that involves implanting flexible polymer electrodes into the visual cortex. These electrodes can be stimulated to produce a rudimentary form of vision. However, current electrodes degrade over time, and accessing the visual cortex is challenging. The project will address these issues by developing methods to implant long-lasting flexible electrodes deep into the brain, improving visual field coverage.
Objective
Approximately forty million people across the world are blind, a condition with serious consequences for a persons autonomy. Restoration of visual function in blind individuals is an important scientific goal with large societal benefits. In a large fraction of blind patients, the connection between the eye and the brain has degenerated so that restoration of a rudimentary form of vision can only be achieved in pathways downstream from the retina, like the visual cortex. PROVISO tests the feasibility of a new approach for a cortical visual prosthesis by implanting flexible polymer electrodes into the visual cortex that can be stimulated electrically to create a rudimentary form of vision.
Weak electrical currents applied to an electrode in the visual cortex induce an artificial percept of light, called phosphene. Multiple phosphenes can be used to build up a shape, just as the lights of a matrix board along the highway generate letters. A promising approach to restore vision involves inserting tiny electrodes into the visual cortex, close to the neurons, so that weak currents result in phosphene perception.
There are two problems that need to be solved before the prosthesis can become a treatment for blind individuals. The first problem is that the electrodes available for chronic implantation are made of silicon or metal, which causes a tissue response (gliosis) causing the interface with the tissue to degrade after several months. The second problem is coverage of the visual field. In humans, much of primary visual cortex (V1) is not located on the surface of the brain, but inside a sulcus, making it difficult to access. PROVISO will develop methods to implant flexible electrodes, that cause little tissue damage and remain functional across longer time scales, into the brain. These electrodes will be implanted deep into several brain areas, thereby providing a good coverage of the visual field.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineophthalmology
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplants
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Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsHost institution
1011 JV AMSTERDAM
Netherlands