Objective
The objectives of this microsystems project consist in designing an artificial eye driving, via an external visual processor, an implantable neurostimulator including a spiral cuff electrode wrapped around the optic nerve and a transcutaneous power and data RF link.
This project aims at realising microsystems-based prototypes in the field of rehabilitation engineering, and at demonstrating the efficacy of a functional prototype of visual prosthesis interfaced with the optic nerve.
Acting upon a peripheral and passive neural structure is an advantage in blindness rehabilitation, provided that safe and selective electrical activation of its fibres would be feasible. Partners of this proposal have already developed an already commercialised spiral cuff electrode (SCE1), and demonstrated its efficiency in selective fibers activation. They also acquired a specific experience in the design of implantable electronic devices, analogue and digital specific integrated circuits (ASIC's) and biologically inspired analogue VLSI circuits and artificial retinas.
Beside their use in the planned visual prosthesis, some components will be designed for other applications such as the artificial retina for a non-invasive sensory substitution visual prosthesis, the neurostimulator in Ti housing for general rehabilitation purposes, the Ti packaging techniques with Pt into glass feedthroughs, the cuff electrode and the RF transcutaneous link for various biomedical implant applications.
The overall strategy of the project is to reassemble, around the particular design of the visual prosthesis, all the required industrial know-how to realise active implanted devices. The positioning of the European industry in this emergent technology is of great importance for the future. This know-how incorporates also, in addition to the basic technologies and techniques, some more industrial expertise such as the mastery of the sophisticated production and quality control along with the respect of the complex medical regulations being of current application in this field.
This project results from a global synergy of SME (NeuroTech) and University laboratories (UCL GREN & DICE), whose long term goal is rehabilitation of vision by several methods, with a research institute involved in microsystems design and implantable devices (CNM), a company manufacturing and developing advanced electronic circuits and hybrids for space, military and biomedical applications (MEL), and two institutions with outstanding knowledge in artificial vision (CSEM) and neural control (ANCL).
About 140 000 blind people in the industrialised countries could benefit from MIVIP, among which about one half suffer from Retinitis Pigmentosa.
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.
- engineering and technology materials engineering fibers
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine physiotherapy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine ophthalmology
- engineering and technology materials engineering amorphous solids
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology implants
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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.
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
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.
Coordinator
1348 LOUVAIN-LA-NEUVE
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.