Project description
Advancing visual prostheses to overcome blindness
Millions of people worldwide suffer from blindness caused by damage to the visual cortex, with few options to restore functional vision. Previous efforts implanted silicon electrode arrays in the visual cortex of blind volunteers, enabling perception of simple shapes. However, scaling this technology is limited. The HyperStim project developed a flexible polymer electrode array that can cover the entire visual cortex. Tests in rhesus monkeys showed it to be more durable and better integrated with brain tissue. Building on these advancements, the EIC-funded FLAIRVISION project aims to develop a visual prosthesis that restores functional vision. It will conduct an experiment with a blind patient, paving the way for effective vision restoration in daily life.
Objective
This project aims at a pivotal advancement towards a long-standing promise of science and technology: a visual prosthesis that restores useful levels of vision to blind people.
It combines results from two earlier EU funded projects:
In NeuraViPeR, Fernandez et al. implanted a small needle-bed shaped silicon electrode array in the visual cortex of blind volunteers. Electrical microstimulation on this silicon array was able to induce the percept of simple shapes directly to the blind person, and also enabling her to find boundaries of objects. However, as most of the visual cortex does not lie on the surface of the brain, this cannot be readily upscaled to practical levels.
In HyperStim, we developed a technology to build flexible, polymer-based electrode arrays that can be shaped to address the entire primary visual cortex. In tests on rhesus monkeys, we have proven durability of the electrode arrays over several years, vastly improved tissue integration and reduced scar tissue formation compared to the earlier silicon probe technology, and to current clinically used electrode arrays. Furthermore, we have proven the ability to increase the resolution beyond the number of electrodes that are physically present by using advanced stimulation patterns.
In the current proposal, we will combine the two previous projects and prove in a first-in-human experiment in a blind patient that this is indeed the way forward to restore a level of vision that is useful in daily life.
In terms of business development, we have already founded a start-up company around this concept and raised seed funding. We have 3 pending patents. The project's business objectives revolve around further advancing the company in terms of business plan, quality systems, documentation and IP. Combining these business objectives with success in the aforementioned research goals will help us reach our ambitious final goal: to successfully raise series A funding by the end of the project.
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. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry metalloids
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology implants
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2024-TRANSITION-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3000 Leuven
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.