RTG 2610 - Innovative Retinal Interfaces for Optimized Artificial Vision (InnoRetVision) is a Research Training Group funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). It focuses on educating graduate students in areas such as electrical engineering, neuroengineering, biophysics, sensory physiology, and vision restoration.

The faculty of RTG 2610 comprises researchers from eleven different scientific facilities of RWTH Aachen University, University Duisburg-Essen, and the Research Center Jülich. The project's spokesman is Prof. Dr. med. Peter Walter from RWTH Aachen's Department of Ophthalmology; the vice spokesmen are Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Wilfried Mokwa and Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Sven Ingebrandt, the former and current directors of RWTH Aachen's Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1.

Overview The program investigates novel methods for stimulating the visual system to enhance existing techniques for vision restoration in individuals who are blind. Earlier studies demonstrated that implantable retinal stimulators can partially restore vision, but the outcomes have not fully met expectations. These limitations are attributed to both technological constraints and the biological characteristics of degenerative diseases. InnoRetVision aims to address these challenges through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates advances in technology with a deeper understanding of visual system degeneration.

Research Structure The research program is organized into three main working fields:

• Working Field A develops new stimulation base structures and electrodes using innovative materials.
• Working Field B focuses on controlling and activating large arrays of high-density electrodes, including hybrid stimulators capable of delivering both electrical impulses and neuropharmaceuticals to enhance performance and influence tissue response.
• Working Field C investigates the biological mechanisms of retinal and central visual system degeneration and develops less invasive implantation methods.

Training Concept InnoRetVision combines research with a comprehensive interdisciplinary training program. The initiative emphasizes the need for engineers and scientists to be proficient in both technological innovation and biomedical translation. While existing master’s programs in medical technology and biomedical engineering provide foundational knowledge, InnoRetVision offers specialized training to prepare experts capable of advancing medical implant technologies. Although centered on retinal prostheses, the research and training approaches developed within the program are applicable to other neuroimplant systems.