Visual prosthetics 2006: assessment and expectations

Abstract

This report provides a brief overview of blinding eye diseases for which prosthetic vision may hold promise as a treatment modality, and of current and near-term technological approaches towards the creation of prosthetic interfaces with the remaining visual system. Principal anatomical, physiological, technological and functional obstacles and possible solutions are outlined, and references are provided to pioneering work by over a dozen groups on four continents.

Keywords::

• age-related macular degeneration
• blindness
• electrode materials
• glaucoma
• prosthesis
• rehabilitation
• retina
• retinitis pigmentosa
• tissue engineering
• visual cortex