Alpha AMS

The Alpha AMS is an advanced subretinal implant developed by Retina Implant AG, designed to assist individuals with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition marked by the progressive loss of vision. This implant is an evolution of its predecessor, the [Alpha IMS](/devices/alpha-ims), featuring enhanced functionality with 1,600 light-sensitive photodiodes that more effectively mimic the natural processing of visual signals. Implanted under the retina, the Alpha AMS converts light into electrical signals that are sent to the brain, enabling patients to detect light and dark, and recognize large objects and outlines.

Alpha IMS

The Alpha IMS is a subretinal implant developed by Retina Implant AG, aimed at restoring functional vision for individuals with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of genetic disorders characterized by progressive vision loss. Implanted beneath the retina, the device features a microchip equipped with 1,500 light-sensitive photodiodes, amplifiers, and electrodes. It functions by mimicking the role of photoreceptor cells: capturing light signals and converting them into electrical impulses transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve.

Alpha IMS enables patients to perceive light patterns, assisting in navigation and object recognition. Clinical trials have shown that the implant can enhance visual perception, marking a significant advancement in vision restoration technologies.

AmazingVision

This technology is an improved version of what the National Chiao Tung University’s Biomedical Electronics Translational Research Center (BETRC) has been developing. The BETRC created an artificial retina that uses two threads to transmit power from the eyewear worn by the user to a chip implanted in the eyeball. Amazing Vision has added a tiny solar panel to the chip that generates power by absorbing infrared light. This improvement reduces inflammation to the eye, reduces infection risk, and gives clearer and wider vision to the patient it was implanted in. Animal tests have already been conducted and have proven useful. Human testing was delayed due to the pandemic, but is soon to be conducted.


Argus I

Argus I was the first-generation prototype of an epiretinal implant manufactured by Second Sight Medical Products.

Argus II

The Argus II is a retinal prosthesis device developed by Second Sight Medical Products, designed for individuals with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition characterized by severe vision impairment. As an epiretinal implant, it is placed directly on the retina's surface and consists of a small camera on eyeglasses that captures visual data. This data is processed by a portable unit and transmitted wirelessly to an electrode array in the eye, stimulating the retina's remaining cells to send visual information to the brain.

Approved by the FDA in 2013 and previously granted the CE Mark in 2011 in Europe, the Argus II was the first retinal implant to receive these certifications, allowing users to perform basic visual tasks.

However, in 2019, Second Sight discontinued the Argus II due to financial challenges, shifting their focus to the development of the [Orion Visual Cortical Prosthesis System](/devices/orion), intended to stimulate the brain's visual cortex directly.

ASR Artificial Silicon Retina

Optobionics’ Artificial Silicon Retina microchip (ASR) was invented by Dr. Alan Chow and his brother Vincent Chow.  Dr. Chow is an ophthalmic surgeon and assistant professor and his brother Vincent is an electrical engineer.

The ASR was designed to stimulate damaged retinal cells from within the retina to allow the cells to recreate visual signals that are processed and sent to the brain.

The ASR microchip is a silicon chip 2 mm in diameter, 25 microns in thickness and is less than the thickness of a human hair. It fabricated using technology similar to that used in the fabrication of computer chips and contains approximately 5,000 microscopic solar cells called “microphotodiodes,” each with its own stimulating electrode.

AV-DONE

AV-DONE is a direct optic nerve electrode that produces artificial vision in blind patients with retinitis pigmentosa. 

Biohybrid

Boston Retinal Implant

The Boston Retinal Implant Project has developed a subretinal, hermetically-enclosed, chronically-implantable vision prosthesis to restore some useful vision to people with degenerative retinal diseases, especially retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. The prosthesis offers advantages over the competing epiretinal devices by providing a lower risk of eye infection, reduced erosion through the delicate tissues that cover the front of the eye (i.e. the conjunctiva), and the ability to place stimulating electrodes closer to retinal nerve cells. 

Brindley Cortical Implant

BS01

C-Sight

The C-Sight group proposed an implantable visual prosthesis based on optic nerve stimulation with an electrode array. (Chai et al. 2013)

CORTIVIS

CORTIVIS is a cortical visual neuroprosthesis that is based on the Utah Electrode Array. It will be used to improve the quality of life of profoundly blind people.

Diamond Eye Implant

iBionics has developed the Diamond Eye implant with a high density of hermatically-enclosed electrodes, allowing for higher spatial resolution. 

Dobelle Eye

ELVIS

ELVIS, or 'Electronic Vision,' is a cortical implant that utilizes small currents to stimulate the visual cortex to produce vision. A microcomputer attached to the belt processes the outdoor scene and uses an AI algoirthm to help simplify objects for the user. Sensor Tech expects human trials to begin in 2023 and implants to be made available to the public in 2027.

EPIRET1

EPIRET2

EPIRET3

The EPIRET3 implant is a remotely controlled, fully intraocular wireless device consisting of a receiver and a stimulator module. The stimulator is placed on the retinal surface. Data and energy are transmitted via an inductive link from outside the eye to the implant. Surgery included removal of the lens, vitrectomy, and implantation of the EPIRET3 device through a corneal incision.

Electronic Visual Cortical Stimulator

The Cortivision team from Polystim neurotechnologies developed a visual cortical stimulator which consists of image sensing, image processing, and brain cortex stimulation to help blind patients acquire a sense of visual perception (Ghannoum 2010). They hope to elaborate a model of the layer 4 of the visual cortex V1 using a large-scale network of biologically realistic neurons.

Gennaris

Gennaris is a cortical visual prosthesis. It has been designed to bypass damage to the eye and optic nerve, to restore functional vision to people who have lost their sight through traumatic injury and conditions such as glaucoma and acquired retinal disease. Gennaris is currently preparing to undergo human clinical trials in Australia.

HARP 4K

The HARP 4K is a next-generation biomimetic high-acuity spherical bionic retina currently in development by Iridium Medical Technologies. Designed for individuals with retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, HARP-4K promises a high-density electrode array (40um spacing, with 4,000 electrodes) and a large field of view (10 degree, covering the macula).

Bar-Ilan Hybrid Retinal Prosthesis

The Hybrid Retinal Prosthesis is a novel device that combines an implantable high density electrode array integrated with neurons. The electrode-neuron coupling allows for an increase in phosphene density while preserving retinal circuitry.

Intracortical Visual Prosthesis

The Intracortical Visual Prosthesis is currently being developed at the Illinois Institute of Technology and is being prepared for clinical testing.

IMI Retinal Implant System

IMIE 256 Channel Intelligent Micro Implant Eye

The 256 Channel Intelligent Micro Eye Implant is an epiretinal implant developed by IntelliMicro Micro Co and Golden Eye Bionic. The implant features advanced technology for a micro implant with an extended electrode array.

IRIS I

Pixium's first device, IRIS1 (Intelligent Retinal Implantable System), used an epi-retinal implant (on the retinal surface) and made it to clinical trials with the goal of obtaining CE Mark.

IRIS II

The IRIS II is a second generation epiretinal implant developed by Pixium vision to deliver light and shape perception, and to localize objects giving the patient the ability to negotiate unfamiliar environments. It consists of a 150 electrode array which allows for a better perceieved visual resolution by the user. The IRIS implant also uses asynchronous time-based image sensor technology resulting in faster, real-time image processing. 

Leuven Optic Nerve Visual Prosthesis

The optic nerve visual prosthesis (ONVP) uses a self-sizing spiral cuff electrode to electrically stimulate the optic nerve and thus create the perception of phosphenes. 

Link N1

The N1 implant consists of 1024 electrodes distributed across 64 threads, composed mostly of polyimide with a thin gold or platinum conductor, which are inserted into the brain through an automated process performed by a surgical robot (R1). Each thread consists of an area of wires that contains electrodes capable of locating electrical signals in the brain, and a sensory area where the wire interacts with an electronic system that allows amplification and acquisition of the brain signal.

Neuralink received FDA approval for human clinical trials with the N1 in May 2023. On January 29, 2024, [Musk said](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1752098683024220632) that Neuralink had successfully implanted a Neuralink device in a human on the day prior, and that the patient was recovering:"Initial results show promising neuron spike detection".

Newcastle Visual Prosthesis

The Optogenetic Retinal Prostheses uses an optoelectronic headset to capture the visual scene, have an LED array display the image onto photosensitized retinal cells and stimulate them with light. A key advantage of this approach is that it is possible to target ON and OFF bipolar cells.

NR600

The miniature Nano Retina device, the NR600 Implant, replaces the functionality of the damaged photoreceptor cells and creates the electrical stimulation required to activate the remaining healthy retinal cells. NR600 consists of two components; a miniature implantable chip and a set of eyeglasses worn by the patient.

OpticSELINE

OpticSELENE is a device with intraneural electrodes that stimulates the optic nerve with light sensation to promote activation of the visual cortex-in to try to restore the sight of the blind. 

Optoelectronic Nanowire Retinal Prosthesis

OPTOEPIRET

OPTOEPIRET extends the EPIRET implant with an integrated epiretinal recording of the image produced by the eye lens onto the retina.

Orion Cortical Visual Prosthesis System

"The Orion Visual Cortical Prosthesis System is an implanted cortical stimulation device intended to provide useful artificial vision to individuals who are blind due to a wide range of causes, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, optic nerve injury or disease, and eye injury" (Eyewire, 2019).

OUReP

Okayama University-type retinal prosthesis (OUReP) is a photoelectric dye-coupled polyethylene film which generates electric potential in response to light and stimulates nearby neurons.

Phoenix 99

The new Phoenix99 bionic eye being developed by engineers at the University of Sydney uses a camera linked to a retinal implant to help people with a debilitating problem with their vision to see again.

POLYRETINA

POLYRETINA is a foldable, wide-field, epiretinal prosthesis that can wirelessly stimulate retinal ganglion cells. The current prototype, POLYRETINA β, features 10,498 Titanium-Nitride electrodes (80μm diameter, 120μm pitch) distributed in a tiled fashion over a 13mm-diameter active area. Future prototypes are planned to miniaturize the electrode design and increase the number of electrodes (POLYRETINA γ: 18,693 electrodes, 60μm diameter, 90μm pitch; POLYRETINA δ: 42,235 electrodes, 60μm diameter, 90μm pitch). So far, device safety and efficacy has been assessed <emph>ex vivo</emph> and <emph>in vitro</emph>.

PolySTIM

PolySTIM is an implantable wireless intracortical interface designed to aid the visually impaired. It uses a multi-chip intracortical microstimulation system for wireless data and power transmission. 

PRIMA

The Prima System is intended to partially replace the normal physiological function of the eyes photoreceptor cells by electrically stimulating the nerve cells of the inner retina, which then transmit the visual information to the brain via the optic nerve.

QuantumRetina

Science Eye

The Science Eye is a visual prosthesis targeted at retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), two forms of serious blindness presently without good options for patients. The Science Eye is a combination device that uses an optogenetic gene therapy targeted at the cells of the optic nerve (the retinal ganglion cells) in conjunction with an implanted flexible thin-film, ultradense microLED display panel inserted directly over the retina. 

Seoul Artificial Retina

Seoul Artificial Retina Project started since the year 2000 at National University Seoul in Korea, aiming to develop a safe retinal prothesis implant for sight restoration. 

SiBionics Prosthesis

The SIBionics prostheses features 60 electrodes, high system complexity, and an integrated circuit. 

Stanford Artificial Retina Project

The goal of the Stanford Artificial Retina Project is to develop an advanced artificial retina that will reproduce the precise retinal code at a cellular resolution with cell-type specificity, resulting in high-fidelity artificial vision.

The proposed device includes several components, some of which are mounted on specially designed glasses, while others reside on or inside the eye. All connectivity is accomplished wirelessly using either radio frequency (RF) or ultrasound transmission. This design's advantage lies in the minimalist nature of the permanent implant, while the external components are easily accessible and upgradeable. Changes to the software algorithms can be simply uploaded to the device without altering the implanted microarray, and improvements in most of the hardware can be accomplished with new glasses. A powerful signal processor receives data from several sensors and from the implanted electrode array, which can record retinal signals. After calibration, it transforms visual camera signals into stimulation pulse commands sent wirelessly to the implant.

STS Retinal Prosthesis

The semichronic suprachoroid transscleral (STS) prosthesis is developed by Fujikado et al. in Japan. In 2011 and 2016, this retinal prosthesis was reported to be able to elicit phosphenes in all five patients with advanced RP without major complications. 

Suprachoroidal-Transretinal Stimulation (STS) internal device was implanted under the skin on the temporal side of the head, and the 49 electrode-array was implanted in the scleral pocket of one eye. Biphasic electrical pulses (duration, 0.5 ms; frequency, 20 Hz) were delivered through nine active electrodes. The last update on the device’s information was in 2018 under the paper titled “Light localization with low-contrast targets in a patient implanted with a suprachoroidal–transretinal stimulation retinal prosthesis.”

Suprachoroidal Prosthesis (24-channel)

The BVT Bionic Eye System is a suprachoroidal implant manufactured by Bionic Vision Technologies. The Gen1 Bionic Eye System was previously known as BVA 24 and was manufactured by the Bionic Vision Australia consortium in 2012. The commercialization rights and research rights of BVA were then taken over by Bionic Vision Technologies (BVT) in 2017. The Gen1 Bionic Eye System used a non-implantable percutaneous connector whereas the Gen2 Bionic Eye System is fully implantable. BVT is now developing the Gen3 Bionic Eye System.

Suprachoroidal Prosthesis (44-channel)

The 44 Channel Suprachoroidal Retinal Prosthesis is a second generation device boasting a higher electrode array and larger field of view than the first generation device launched by Bionic Vision Technologies. Since launching a 4-patient clinical trial in 2018, the results have indicated that the device offers functional benefits to patients while providing a safe and reproducible surgical procedure.

Thalamic Visual Prosthesis

The goal of the MGH Thalamic Visual Prosthesis project is to build a machine-brain interface that can convey information from an external visual source directly to the visual parts of the brain for image processing. 

Utah Intracortical Electrode Array

Utah intracortical Electrode Array (UIEA) is a fixed geometry penetrating intracortical microelectrode array developed by a team at the University of Utah in the 1990s, aiming to provide a solid foundation for creating a cortically based visual prosthesis.

Devices

Alpha AMS

subretinal

discontinued

Alpha IMS

subretinal

discontinued

AmazingVision

subretinal

Status unknown

Argus I

epiretinal

discontinued

Argus II

epiretinal

discontinued

Artificial Silicon Retina

subretinal

Status unknown

AV-DONE

optic nerve

active

Biohybrid

optic nerve

Status unknown

Boston Retinal Implant

subretinal

active

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All images used with permission. Introduction graphic: © Getty. Background graphic: © Tracy Spohn/Shutterstock.