The Retinal Implant Project is a joint effort of MIT, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, the VA
Boston Healthcare System, and the NanoScale Science & Technology Facility at Cornell University
to develop a retinal prosthesis to restore some vision to the blind. Diseases targeted include retinitis
pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, both of which cause loss of the photoreceptors
(rods and cones) of the outer retina, but spare the inner retinal ganglion nerve cells which form the
optic nerve. As presently envisioned, a patient would wear a camera mounted on a pair of glasses,
which transmits image data to an implant attached to the eye. The implant will electrically stimulate
the appropriate ganglion cells via an array of microelectrodes. The concept is broadly analogous to
a cochlear implant, but for vision rather than hearing.
For many years our group acted as a small research center for the interesting problems facing
retinal prostheses. But in December 2002, we changed our direction, expanded our group, and
decided to develop our own prototype for chronic implantation. This is a substantial effort, involving
fabrication of flexible substrates and electrode arrays, circuit design, chip design and
microfabrication, biocompatible and hermetic coatings, development of surgical procedures, and
vendor development of RF coils and assembly processes. Our web site gives more information
about the project and team: www.BostonRetinalImplant.org.
Development of a Wireless Retinal Implant for Chronic Human Implantation
Sponsors
NIH contract 2-R01-EY016674-04A1
VA Center for Innovative Visual Rehabilitation
MOSIS provides IC fabrication at no cost
Project Staff
Patrick Doyle, Bill Drohan, Dr. William Ellersick, Dr. Shawn Kelly, Oscar Mendoza, Dr. Attila
Priplata, Professor John Wyatt
Generation 1 Device
The first implant was developed in 2007-2008 and is shown in Figure 1. In March of 2008, we
implanted it in a Yucatan minipig and demonstrated that it was functional following the surgery. In
May of 2008, we successfully repeated this surgery twice more. An ab externo surgical technique
was used in which the secondary coil was sutured temporarily onto the superior sclera while a
7 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 15 µm thick polyimide array was inserted into the subretinal space. At the
completion of the surgery, the whole implant was covered by the conjunctiva. No complications
were observed during the surgeries, although some extrusion of the implant through the conjunctiva.
Doctors have created a world-first bionic eye that can restore vision
