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Bahrami MK, Nazari S. Digital design of a spatial-pow-STDP learning block with high accuracy utilizing pow CORDIC for large-scale image classifier spatiotemporal SNN. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3388. [PMID: 38337032 PMCID: PMC10858263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54043-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The paramount concern of highly accurate energy-efficient computing in machines with significant cognitive capabilities aims to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of bio-inspired Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs). This paper addresses this main objective by introducing a novel spatial power spike-timing-dependent plasticity (Spatial-Pow-STDP) learning rule as a digital block with high accuracy in a bio-inspired SNN model. Motivated by the demand for precise and accelerated computation that reduces high-cost resources in neural network applications, this paper presents a methodology based on COordinate Rotation DIgital Computer (CORDIC) definitions. The proposed designs of CORDIC algorithms for exponential (Exp CORDIC), natural logarithm (Ln CORDIC), and arbitrary power function (Pow CORDIC) are meticulously detailed and evaluated to ensure optimal acceleration and accuracy, which respectively show average errors near 10-9, 10-6, and 10-5 with 4, 4, and 6 iterations. The engineered architectures for the Exp, Ln, and Pow CORDIC implementations are illustrated and assessed, showcasing the efficiency achieved through high frequency, leading to the introduction of a Spatial-Pow-STDP learning block design based on Pow CORDIC that facilitates efficient and accurate hardware computation with 6.93 × 10-3 average error with 9 iterations. The proposed learning mechanism integrates this structure into a large-scale spatiotemporal SNN consisting of three layers with reduced hyper-parameters, enabling unsupervised training in an event-based paradigm using excitatory and inhibitory synapses. As a result, the application of the developed methodology and equations in the computational SNN model for image classification reveals superior accuracy and convergence speed compared to existing spiking networks by achieving up to 97.5%, 97.6%, 93.4%, and 93% accuracy, respectively, when trained on the MNIST, EMNIST digits, EMNIST letters, and CIFAR10 datasets with 6, 2, 2, and 6 training epochs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Soheila Nazari
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, 1983969411, Iran.
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2
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Peiroten L, Zrenner E, Haq W. Artificial Vision: The High-Frequency Electrical Stimulation of the Blind Mouse Retina Decay Spike Generation and Electrogenically Clamped Intracellular Ca 2+ at Elevated Levels. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1208. [PMID: 37892938 PMCID: PMC10604554 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10101208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The electrical stimulation (stim) of retinal neurons enables blind patients to experience limited artificial vision. A rapid response outage of the stimulated ganglion cells (GCs) allows for a low visual sensation rate. Hence, to elucidate the underlying mechanism, we investigated different stim parameters and the role of the neuromodulator calcium (Ca2+). METHODS Subretinal stim was applied on retinal explants (blind rd1 mouse) using multielectrode arrays (MEAs) or single metal electrodes, and the GC activity was recorded using Ca2+ imaging or MEA, respectively. Stim parameters, including voltage, phase polarity, and frequency, were investigated using specific blockers. RESULTS At lower stim frequencies (<5 Hz), GCs responded synaptically according to the stim pulses (stim: biphasic, cathodic-first, -1.6/+1.5 V). In contrast, higher stim frequencies (≥5 Hz) also activated GCs directly and induced a rapid GC spike response outage (<500 ms, MEA recordings), while in Ca2+ imaging at the same frequencies, increased intracellular Ca2+ levels were observed. CONCLUSIONS Our study elucidated the mechanisms involved in stim-dependent GC spike response outage: sustained high-frequency stim-induced spike outage, accompanied by electrogenically clamped intracellular Ca2+ levels at elevated levels. These findings will guide future studies optimizing stim paradigms for electrical implant applications for interfacing neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Wadood Haq
- Neuroretinal Electrophysiology and Imaging, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (L.P.)
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Son Y, Chen ZC, Roh H, Lee BC, Im M. Effects on Retinal Stimulation of the Geometry and the Insertion Location of Penetrating Electrodes. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2023; 31:3803-3812. [PMID: 37729573 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2023.3317496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Retinal implants have been developed and implanted to restore vision from outer retinal degeneration, but their performance is still limited due to the poor spatial resolution. To improve the localization of stimulation, microelectrodes in various three-dimensional (3D) shapes have been investigated. In particular, computational simulation is crucial for optimizing the performance of a novel microelectrode design before actual fabrication. However, most previous studies have assumed a uniform conductivity for the entire retina without testing the effect of electrodes placement in different layers. In this study, we used the finite element method to simulate electric fields created by 3D microelectrodes of three different designs in a retina model with a stratified conductivity profile. The three electrode designs included two conventional shapes - a conical electrode (CE) and a pillar electrode (PE); we also proposed a novel structure of pillar electrode with an insulating wall (PEIW). A quantitative comparison of these designs shows the PEIW generates a stronger and more confined electric field with the same current injection, which is preferred for high-resolution retinal prostheses. Moreover, our results demonstrate both the magnitude and the shape of potential distribution generated by a penetrating electrode depend not only on the geometry, but also substantially on the insertion depth of the electrode. Although epiretinal insertions are mainly discussed, we also compared results for subretinal insertions. The results provide valuable insights for improving the spatial resolution of retinal implants using 3D penetrating microelectrodes and highlight the importance of considering the heterogeneity of conductivities in the retina.
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Palanker D. Electronic Retinal Prostheses. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2023; 13:a041525. [PMID: 36781222 PMCID: PMC10411866 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Retinal prostheses are a promising means for restoring sight to patients blinded by photoreceptor atrophy. They introduce visual information by electrical stimulation of the surviving inner retinal neurons. Subretinal implants target the graded-response secondary neurons, primarily the bipolar cells, which then transfer the information to the ganglion cells via the retinal neural network. Therefore, many features of natural retinal signal processing can be preserved in this approach if the inner retinal network is retained. Epiretinal implants stimulate primarily the ganglion cells, and hence should encode the visual information in spiking patterns, which, ideally, should match the target cell types. Currently, subretinal arrays are being developed primarily for restoration of central vision in patients impaired by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), while epiretinal implants-for patients blinded by retinitis pigmentosa, where the inner retina is less preserved. This review describes the concepts and technologies, preclinical characterization of prosthetic vision and clinical outcomes, and provides a glimpse into future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Palanker
- Department of Ophthalmology and Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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5
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Guan T, Chen S. Multiscale Simulations on Synaptic Signal Transduction of Energy-Harvesting P(VDF-TrFE)-Based Artificial Retina. J Phys Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37421374 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Ferroelectric polymers have drawn a lot of research concerns recently due to their lightness, mechanical flexibility, conformability, and facile processability. Remarkably, these polymers can be used to fabricate biomimetic devices, such as artificial retina or electronic skin, to realize artificial intelligence. The artificial visual system behaves as a photoreceptor, converting incoming light into electric signals. The most widely studied ferroelectric polymer, poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)], can be used as the building block in this visual system to implement synaptic signal generation. There is a void in computational investigations on the complicated working picture of P(VDF-TrFE)-based artificial retina from a microscopic mechanism to a macroscopic mechanism. Therefore, a multiscale simulation method combining quantum chemistry calculations, first-principles calculations, Monte Carlo simulations, and the Benav model was established to illustrate the whole working principle, involving synaptic signal transduction and consequent communication with neuron cells, of the P(VDF-TrFE)-based artificial retina. This newly developed multiscale method not only can be further applied to other energy-harvesting systems involving synaptic signals but also would be helpful to build microscopic/macroscopic pictures within these energy-harvesting devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Guan
- Kuang Yaming Honors School and Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shuang Chen
- Kuang Yaming Honors School and Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
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Amiri M, Jafari AH, Makkiabadi B, Nazari S, Van Hulle MM. A novel un-supervised burst time dependent plasticity learning approach for biologically pattern recognition networks. Inf Sci (N Y) 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ins.2022.11.162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Amiri M, Jafari AH, Makkiabadi B, Nazari S. A Novel Unsupervised Spatial–Temporal Learning Mechanism in a Bio-inspired Spiking Neural Network. Cognit Comput 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12559-022-10097-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Caravaca-Rodriguez D, Gaytan SP, Suaning GJ, Barriga-Rivera A. Implications of Neural Plasticity in Retinal Prosthesis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:11. [PMID: 36251317 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.11.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa cause a progressive loss of photoreceptors that eventually prevents the affected person from perceiving visual sensations. The absence of a visual input produces a neural rewiring cascade that propagates along the visual system. This remodeling occurs first within the retina. Then, subsequent neuroplastic changes take place at higher visual centers in the brain, produced by either the abnormal neural encoding of the visual inputs delivered by the diseased retina or as the result of an adaptation to visual deprivation. While retinal implants can activate the surviving retinal neurons by delivering electric current, the unselective activation patterns of the different neural populations that exist in the retinal layers differ substantially from those in physiologic vision. Therefore, artificially induced neural patterns are being delivered to a brain that has already undergone important neural reconnections. Whether or not the modulation of this neural rewiring can improve the performance for retinal prostheses remains a critical question whose answer may be the enabler of improved functional artificial vision and more personalized neurorehabilitation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Caravaca-Rodriguez
- Department of Applied Physics III, Technical School of Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Susana P Gaytan
- Department of Physiology, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Gregg J Suaning
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alejandro Barriga-Rivera
- Department of Applied Physics III, Technical School of Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.,School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Chen ZC, Wang BY, Goldstein AK, Butt E, Mathieson K, Palanker D. Photovoltaic implant simulator reveals resolution limits in subretinal prosthesis. J Neural Eng 2022; 19:10.1088/1741-2552/ac8ed8. [PMID: 36055219 PMCID: PMC10752425 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac8ed8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Objective.PRIMA, the photovoltaic subretinal prosthesis, restores central vision in patients blinded by atrophic age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with a resolution closely matching the 100µm pixel size of the implant. Improvement in resolution requires smaller pixels, but the resultant electric field may not provide sufficient stimulation strength in the inner nuclear layer (INL) or may lead to excessive crosstalk between neighboring electrodes, resulting in low contrast stimulation patterns. We study the approaches to electric field shaping in the retina for prosthetic vision with higher resolution and improved contrast.Approach.We present a new computational framework, Retinal Prosthesis Simulator (RPSim), that efficiently computes the electric field in the retina generated by a photovoltaic implant with thousands of electrodes. Leveraging the PRIMA clinical results as a benchmark, we use RPSim to predict the stimulus strength and contrast of the electric field in the retina with various pixel designs and stimulation patterns.Main results.We demonstrate that by utilizing monopolar pixels as both anodes and cathodes to suppress crosstalk, most patients may achieve resolution no worse than 48µm. Closer proximity between the electrodes and the INL, achieved with pillar electrodes, enhances the stimulus strength and contrast and may enable 24µm resolution with 20µm pixels, at least in some patients.Significance.A resolution of 24µm on the retina corresponds to a visual acuity of 20/100, which is over 4 times higher than the current best prosthetic acuity of 20/438, promising a significant improvement of central vision for many AMD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Charles Chen
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Bing-Yi Wang
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Anna Kochnev Goldstein
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Emma Butt
- Institute of Photonics, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Keith Mathieson
- Institute of Photonics, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Palanker
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
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Wang BY, Chen ZC, Bhuckory M, Kochnev Goldstein A, Palanker D. Pixel size limit of the PRIMA implants: from humans to rodents and back. J Neural Eng 2022; 19:10.1088/1741-2552/ac8e31. [PMID: 36044878 PMCID: PMC9527086 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac8e31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Objective.Retinal prostheses aim at restoring sight in patients with retinal degeneration by electrically stimulating the inner retinal neurons. Clinical trials with patients blinded by atrophic age-related macular degeneration using the PRIMA subretinal implant, a 2 × 2 mm array of 100µm-wide photovoltaic pixels, have demonstrated a prosthetic visual acuity closely matching the pixel size. Further improvement in resolution requires smaller pixels, which, with the current bipolar design, necessitates more intense stimulation.Approach.We examine the lower limit of the pixel size for PRIMA implants by modeling the electric field, leveraging the clinical benchmarks, and using animal data to assess the stimulation strength and contrast of various patterns. Visually evoked potentials measured in Royal College of Surgeons rats with photovoltaic implants composed of 100µm and 75µm pixels were compared to clinical thresholds with 100µm pixels. Electrical stimulation model calibrated by the clinical and rodent data was used to predict the performance of the implant with smaller pixels.Main results.PRIMA implants with 75µm bipolar pixels under the maximum safe near-infrared (880 nm) illumination of 8 mW mm-2with 30% duty cycle (10 ms pulses at 30 Hz) should provide a similar perceptual brightness as with 100µm pixels under 3 mW mm-2irradiance, used in the current clinical trials. Contrast of the Landolt C pattern scaled down to 75µm pixels is also similar under such illumination to that with 100µm pixels, increasing the maximum acuity from 20/420 to 20/315.Significance.Computational modeling defines the minimum pixel size of the PRIMA implants as 75µm. Increasing the implant width from 2 to 3 mm and reducing the pixel size from 100 to 75µm will nearly quadrupole the number of pixels, which should be very beneficial for patients. Smaller pixels of the same bipolar flat geometry would require excessively intense illumination, and therefore a different pixel design should be considered for further improvement in resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Yi Wang
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Zhijie Charles Chen
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Mohajeet Bhuckory
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Anna Kochnev Goldstein
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Daniel Palanker
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
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11
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Fellner A, Heshmat A, Werginz P, Rattay F. A finite element method framework to model extracellular neural stimulation. J Neural Eng 2022; 19. [PMID: 35320783 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac6060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Increasing complexity in extracellular stimulation experiments and neural implant design also requires realistic computer simulations capable of modeling the neural activity of nerve cells under the influence of an electrical stimulus. Classical model approaches are often based on simplifications, are not able to correctly calculate the electric field generated by complex electrode designs, and do not consider electrical effects of the cell on its surrounding. A more accurate approach is the finite element method (FEM), which provides necessary techniques to solve the Poisson equation for complex geometries under consideration of electrical tissue properties. Especially in situations where neurons experience large and non-symmetric extracellular potential gradients, a FEM solution that implements the cell membrane model can improve the computer simulation results. To investigate the response of neurons in an electric field generated by complex electrode designs, a FEM framework for extracellular stimulation was developed in COMSOL. APPROACH Methods to implement morphologically- and biophysically-detailed neurons including active Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) cell membrane dynamics as well as the stimulation setup are described in detail. Covered methods are (i) development of cell and electrode geometries including meshing strategies, (ii) assignment of physics for the conducting spaces and the realization of active electrodes, (iii) implementation of the HH model, and (iv) coupling of the physics to get a fully described model. MAIN RESULTS Several implementation examples are briefly presented: (i) a full FEM implementation of a HH model cell stimulated with a honeycomb electrode, (ii) the electric field of a cochlear electrode placed inside the cochlea, and (iii) a proof of concept implementation of a detailed double-cable cell membrane model for myelinated nerve fibers. SIGNIFICANCE The presented concepts and methods provide basic and advanced techniques to realize a full FEM framework for innovative studies of neural excitation in response to extracellular stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Fellner
- Institute of Analysis and Scientific Computing, Vienna University of Technology, Wiedner Hauptstraße 8-10, Vienna, Vienna, 1040, AUSTRIA
| | - Amirreza Heshmat
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck, 6020, AUSTRIA
| | - Paul Werginz
- Institute of Analysis and Scientific Computing, Vienna University of Technology, Wiedner Hauptstraße 8-10, Vienna, Vienna, 1040, AUSTRIA
| | - Frank Rattay
- Institute of Analysis and Scientific Computing, Vienna University of Technology, Wiedner Hauptstraße 8-10, Vienna, Vienna, 1040, AUSTRIA
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Thorn JT, Chenais NAL, Hinrichs S, Chatelain M, Ghezzi D. Virtual reality validation of naturalistic modulation strategies to counteract fading in retinal stimulation. J Neural Eng 2022; 19. [PMID: 35240583 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac5a5c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Temporal resolution is a key challenge in artificial vision. Several prosthetic approaches are limited by the perceptual fading of evoked phosphenes upon repeated stimulation from the same electrode. Therefore, implanted patients are forced to perform active scanning, via head movements, to refresh the visual field viewed by the camera. However, active scanning is a draining task, and it is crucial to find compensatory strategies to reduce it. APPROACH To address this question, we implemented perceptual fading in simulated prosthetic vision using virtual reality. Then, we quantified the effect of fading on two indicators: the time to complete a reading task and the head rotation during the task. We also tested if stimulation strategies previously proposed to increase the persistence of responses in retinal ganglion cells to electrical stimulation could improve these indicators. MAIN RESULTS This study shows that stimulation strategies based on interrupted pulse trains and randomisation of the pulse duration allows significant reduction of both the time to complete the task and the head rotation during the task. SIGNIFICANCE The stimulation strategy used in retinal implants is crucial to counteract perceptual fading and to reduce active head scanning during prosthetic vision. In turn, less active scanning might improve the patient's comfort in artificial vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Thomas Thorn
- Neuroengineering, EPFL STI, Chemin des Mines 9, Geneva, 1202, SWITZERLAND
| | | | - Sandrine Hinrichs
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Chemin des Mines 9, Geneva, 1202, SWITZERLAND
| | - Marion Chatelain
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Chemin des Mines 9, Geneva, 1202, SWITZERLAND
| | - Diego Ghezzi
- Medtronic Chair in Neuroengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, EPFL STI IBI LNE, Lausanne, 1015, SWITZERLAND
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Benfenati F, Lanzani G. Reply to: Questions about the role of P3HT nanoparticles in retinal stimulation. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 16:1333-1336. [PMID: 34887531 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-021-01043-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy.
| | - Guglielmo Lanzani
- Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milan, Italy
- Department of Physics, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Palanker D, Głowacki ED, Ghezzi D. Questions about the role of P3HT nanoparticles in retinal stimulation. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 16:1330-1332. [PMID: 34887532 PMCID: PMC10789482 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-021-01044-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Palanker
- Department of Ophthalmology and Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Eric Daniel Głowacki
- Bioelectronics Materials and Devices Laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Diego Ghezzi
- Medtronic Chair in Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
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Iseri E, Kosta P, Paknahad J, Bouteiller JMC, Lazzi G. A Computational Model Simulates Light-Evoked Responses in the Retinal Cone Pathway. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2021; 2021:4482-4486. [PMID: 34892214 PMCID: PMC10578446 DOI: 10.1109/embc46164.2021.9630642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Partial vision restoration on degenerated retina can be achieved by electrically stimulating the surviving retinal ganglion cells via implanted electrodes to elicit a signal corresponding to the natural response of the cells. Realistic computational models of electrical stimulation of the retina can prove useful to test different stimulation strategies and improve the performance of retinal implants. Simulation of healthy retinal networks and their dynamical response to natural light stimulation may also help us understand how retinal processing takes place via a series of electrical signals flowing through different stages of retinal processing, ultimately giving rise to visual percepts. Such models may provide further insights on retinal network processing and thus guide the design of retinal prostheses and their stimulation protocols to generate more natural percepts. This work aims to characterize the photocurrent generated by healthy cone photoreceptors in response to a light flash stimulation and the resulting membrane potential for the photoreceptors and its postsynaptic cone bipolar cells. A simple network of ten cone photoreceptors synapsing with a cone bipolar cell is simulated using the NEURON environment and validated against patch-clamp recordings of cone photoreceptors and ON-type bipolar cells (ON-BC). The results presented will be valuable in modeling light-evoked or electrically stimulated retinal networks that comprise cone pathways. The computational models and methods developed in this work will serve as an integral building block in the development of large and realistic retinal networks.Clinical Relevance- Accurate computational model of a retinal neural network can help in predicting cell responses to electrical stimulation in vision restoration therapies using prostheses. It can be leveraged to optimize the stimulation parameters to match the natural light response of the network as closely as possible.
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Paknahad J, Kosta P, Iseri E, Farzad S, Bouteiller JMC, Humayun MS, Lazzi G. Modeling ON Cone Bipolar Cells for Electrical Stimulation. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2021; 2021:6547-6550. [PMID: 34892609 PMCID: PMC8754156 DOI: 10.1109/embc46164.2021.9629884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Retinal prosthetic systems have been developed to help blind patients suffering from retinal degenerative diseases gain some useful form of vision. Various experimental and computational studies have been performed to test electrical stimulation strategies that can improve the performance of these devices. Detailed computational models of retinal neurons, such as retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and bipolar cells (BCs), allow us to explore the mechanisms underlying the response of cells to electrical stimulation. While electrophysiological studies have shown the presence of voltage-gated ionic channels in different regions of BCs, many of the existing cone BCs models are assumed to be passive or only contain calcium channels at the synaptic terminals. We have utilized our Admittance Method (AM)-NEURON computational platform to implement a more realistic model of ON-BCs. Our model closely replicates the recent patch-clamp experiments directly measuring the response of ON-BCs to epiretinal electrical stimulation and thereby predicts the regional distributions of the ionic channels. Our computational results further indicate that outward potassium current strongly contributes to the depolarizing voltage transient of ON-BCs in response to electrical stimulation.
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Yamashita K, Sundaram P, Uchida T, Matsuo T, Wong W. Modelling the visual response to an OUReP retinal prosthesis with photoelectric dye coupled to polyethylene film. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 33857924 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/abf892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective.Retinal prostheses have been developed to restore vision in blind patients suffering from diseases like retinitis pigmentosa.Approach.A new type of retinal prosthesis called the Okayama University-type retinal prosthesis (OUReP) was developed by chemically coupling photoelectric dyes to a polyethylene film surface. The prosthesis works by passively generating an electric potential when stimulated by light. However, the neurophysiological mechanism of how OUReP stimulates the degenerated retina is unknown.Main results.Here, we explore how the OUReP affects retinal tissues using a finite element model to solve for the potential inside the tissue and an active Hodgkin-Huxley model based on rat vision to predict the corresponding retinal bipolar response.Significance.We show that the OUReP is likely capable of eliciting responses in retinal bipolar cells necessary to generate vision under most ambient conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Yamashita
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-Naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Prathima Sundaram
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 40 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2E4, Canada
| | - Tetsuya Uchida
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-Naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Matsuo
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Willy Wong
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 40 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2E4, Canada
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Oesterle J, Behrens C, Schröder C, Hermann T, Euler T, Franke K, Smith RG, Zeck G, Berens P. Bayesian inference for biophysical neuron models enables stimulus optimization for retinal neuroprosthetics. eLife 2020; 9:e54997. [PMID: 33107821 PMCID: PMC7673784 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
While multicompartment models have long been used to study the biophysics of neurons, it is still challenging to infer the parameters of such models from data including uncertainty estimates. Here, we performed Bayesian inference for the parameters of detailed neuron models of a photoreceptor and an OFF- and an ON-cone bipolar cell from the mouse retina based on two-photon imaging data. We obtained multivariate posterior distributions specifying plausible parameter ranges consistent with the data and allowing to identify parameters poorly constrained by the data. To demonstrate the potential of such mechanistic data-driven neuron models, we created a simulation environment for external electrical stimulation of the retina and optimized stimulus waveforms to target OFF- and ON-cone bipolar cells, a current major problem of retinal neuroprosthetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Oesterle
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Christian Behrens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Cornelius Schröder
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Thoralf Hermann
- Naturwissenschaftliches und Medizinisches Institut an der Universität TübingenReutlingenGermany
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Katrin Franke
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Robert G Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Günther Zeck
- Naturwissenschaftliches und Medizinisches Institut an der Universität TübingenReutlingenGermany
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
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Haji Ghaffari D, Finn KE, Jeganathan VSE, Patel U, Wuyyuru V, Roy A, Weiland JD. The effect of waveform asymmetry on perception with epiretinal prostheses. J Neural Eng 2020; 17:045009. [PMID: 32590371 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aba07e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective Retinal prosthetic implants have helped improve vision in patients blinded by photoreceptor degeneration. Retinal implant users report improvements in light perception and performing visual tasks, but their ability to perceive shapes and letters is limited due to the low precision of retinal activation, which is exacerbated by axonal stimulation and high perceptual thresholds. A previous in vitro study in our lab used calcium imaging to measure the spatial activity of mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in response to electrical stimulation. Based on this study, symmetric anodic-first (SA) stimulation effectively avoided axonal activation and asymmetric anodic-first stimulation (AA) with duration ratios (ratio of the anodic to cathodic phase) greater than 10 reduced RGC activation thresholds significantly. Applying these novel stimulation strategies in clinic may increase perception precision and improve the overall patient outcomes. Approach We combined human subject testing and computational modeling to further examine the effect of SA and AA stimuli on perception shapes and thresholds for epiretinal stimulation of RGCs. Main results Threshold measurement in three Argus II participants indicated that AA stimulation could increase perception probabilities compared to a standard symmetric cathodic-first (SC) pulse, and this effect can be intensified by addition of an interphae gap (IPG). Our in silico RGC model predicts lower thresholds with AA and asymmetric cathodic-first (AC) stimuli compared to a SC pulse. This effect was more pronounced at shorter pulse widths. The most effective pulse for threshold reduction with short pulse durations (≤0.12 ms) was AA stimulation with small duration ratios (≤5) and long IPGs (≥2 ms). For the 0.5 ms pulse duration, SC stimulation with IPGs longer than 0.5 ms, or asymmetric stimuli with large duration ratios (≥20) were most effective in threshold reduction. Phosphene shape analysis did not reveal a significant change in percept elongation with SA stimulation. However, there was a significant increase in percept size (P < 0.01) with AA stimulation compared to the standard pulse in one participant. Significane Including asymmetric waveform capability will provide more flexible options for optimization and personalized fitting of retinal implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorsa Haji Ghaffari
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America. Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
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20
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Werginz P, Wang BY, Chen ZC, Palanker D. On optimal coupling of the 'electronic photoreceptors' into the degenerate retina. J Neural Eng 2020; 17:045008. [PMID: 32613948 PMCID: PMC10948023 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aba0d2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Objective To restore sight in atrophic age-related macular degeneration, the lost photoreceptors can be replaced with electronic implants, which replicate their two major functions: (1) converting light into an electric signal, and (2) transferring visual information to the secondary neurons in the retinal neural network—the bipolar cells (BC). We study the selectivity of BC activation by subretinal implants and dynamics of their response to pulsatile waveforms in order to optimize the electrical stimulation scheme such that retinal signal processing with 'electronic photoreceptors' remains as close to natural as possible. Approach A multicompartmental model of a BC was implemented to simulate responses of the voltage-gated calcium channels and subsequent synaptic vesicle release under continuous and pulsatile stimuli. We compared the predicted response under various frequencies, pulse durations, and alternating gratings to the corresponding experimental measurements. In addition, electric field was computed for various electrode configurations in a 3-d finite element model to assess the stimulation selectivity via spatial confinement of the field. Main results The modeled BC-mediated retinal responses were, in general, in good agreement with previously published experimental results. Kinetics of the calcium pumps and of the neurotransmitter release in ribbon synapses, which underpin the BC's temporal filtering and rectifying functions, allow mimicking the natural BC response with high frequency pulsatile stimulation, thereby preserving features of the retinal signal processing, such as flicker fusion, adaptation to static stimuli and non-linear summation of subunits in receptive field. Selectivity of the BC stimulation while avoiding direct activation of the downstream neurons (amacrine and ganglion cells—RGCs) is improved with local return electrodes. Significance If the retinal neural network is preserved to a large extent in age-related macular degeneration, selective stimulation of BCs with proper spatial and temporal modulation of the extracellular electric field may retain many features of the natural retinal signal processing and hence allow highly functional restoration of sight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Werginz
- Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria. Author to whom any correspondence should be adressed
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21
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Lyu Q, Lu Z, Li H, Qiu S, Guo J, Sui X, Sun P, Li L, Chai X, Lovell NH. A Three-Dimensional Microelectrode Array to Generate Virtual Electrodes for Epiretinal Prosthesis Based on a Modeling Study. Int J Neural Syst 2020; 30:2050006. [DOI: 10.1142/s0129065720500069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite many advances in the development of retinal prostheses, clinical reports show that current retinal prosthesis subjects can only perceive prosthetic vision with poor visual acuity. A possible approach for improving visual acuity is to produce virtual electrodes (VEs) through electric field modulation. Generating controllable and localized VEs is a crucial factor in effectively improving the perceptive resolution of the retinal prostheses. In this paper, we aimed to design a microelectrode array (MEA) that can produce converged and controllable VEs by current steering stimulation strategies. Through computational modeling, we designed a three-dimensional concentric ring–disc MEA and evaluated its performance with different stimulation strategies. Our simulation results showed that electrode–retina distance (ERD) and inter-electrode distance (IED) can dramatically affect the distribution of electric field. Also the converged VEs could be produced when the parameters of the three-dimensional MEA were appropriately set. VE sites can be controlled by manipulating the proportion of current on each adjacent electrode in a current steering group (CSG). In addition, spatial localization of electrical stimulation can be greatly improved under quasi-monopolar (QMP) stimulation. This study may provide support for future application of VEs in epiretinal prosthesis for potentially increasing the visual acuity of prosthetic vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Lyu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Zhuofan Lu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Heng Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Shirong Qiu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Jiahui Guo
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohong Sui
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Pengcheng Sun
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Liming Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Xinyu Chai
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Nigel H. Lovell
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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22
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Raghuram V, Werginz P, Fried SI. Scaling of the AIS and Somatodendritic Compartments in α S RGCs. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:436. [PMID: 31611777 PMCID: PMC6777007 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The anatomical properties of the axon initial segment (AIS) are tailored in certain types of CNS neurons to help optimize different aspects of neuronal function. Here, we questioned whether the AISs of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) were similarly customized, and if so, whether they supported specific RGC functions. To explore this, we measured the AIS properties in alpha sustained RGCs (α S RGCs) of mouse; α S RGCs sizes vary systematically along the nasal temporal axis of the retina, making these cells an attractive population with which to study potential correlations between AIS properties and cell size. Measurements of AIS length as well as distance from the soma revealed that both were scaled to cell size, i.e., cells with large dendritic fields had long AISs that were relatively far from the soma. Within the AIS, the percentage of Na v 1.6 voltage-gated sodium channels remained highly consistent, regardless of cell size or other AIS properties. Although ON RGCs were slightly larger than OFF cells at any given location of the retina, the level of scaling and relative distribution of voltage-gated sodium channels were highly similar. Computational modeling revealed that AIS scaling influenced spiking thresholds, spike rate as well as the kinetics of individual action potentials, Interestingly, the effect of individual features of the AIS varied for different neuronal functions, e.g., AIS length had a larger effect on the efficacy by which the AIS initiated spike triggered the somatic spike than it did on repetitive spiking. The polarity of the effect varied for different properties, i.e., increases to soma size increased spike threshold while increases to AIS length decreased threshold. Thus, variations in the relative level of scaling for individual components could fine tune threshold or other neuronal functions. Light responses were highly consistent across the full range of cell sizes suggesting that scaling may post-synaptically shape response stability, e.g., in addition to several well-known pre-synaptic contributors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vineeth Raghuram
- Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - Paul Werginz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shelley I. Fried
- Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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23
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Flores T, Huang T, Bhuckory M, Ho E, Chen Z, Dalal R, Galambos L, Kamins T, Mathieson K, Palanker D. Honeycomb-shaped electro-neural interface enables cellular-scale pixels in subretinal prosthesis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10657. [PMID: 31337815 PMCID: PMC6650428 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47082-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
High-resolution visual prostheses require small, densely packed pixels, but limited penetration depth of the electric field formed by a planar electrode array constrains such miniaturization. We present a novel honeycomb configuration of an electrode array with vertically separated active and return electrodes designed to leverage migration of retinal cells into voids in the subretinal space. Insulating walls surrounding each pixel decouple the field penetration depth from the pixel width by aligning the electric field vertically, enabling a decrease of the pixel size down to cellular dimensions. We demonstrate that inner retinal cells migrate into the 25 μm deep honeycomb wells as narrow as 18 μm, resulting in more than half of these cells residing within the electrode cavities. Immune response to honeycombs is comparable to that with planar arrays. Modeled stimulation threshold current density with honeycombs does not increase substantially with reduced pixel size, unlike quadratic increase with planar arrays. This 3-D electrode configuration may enable functional restoration of central vision with acuity better than 20/100 for millions of patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Flores
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Tiffany Huang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mohajeet Bhuckory
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Elton Ho
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Zhijie Chen
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Roopa Dalal
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ludwig Galambos
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Theodore Kamins
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Keith Mathieson
- Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Daniel Palanker
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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24
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Potschka J, Dietz M, Beck C, Voelkel M, Hagelauer A, Weigel R, Soell C, Kirchner J, Mardin C, Stadelmayer M, Maiwald T, Breun S, Kolb K, Bauch A. Design of an Integrated Subretinal Implant using Cellular Neural Networks for Binary Image Generation in a 130 nm BiCMOS Process. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2019; 2019:5268-5273. [PMID: 31947046 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2019.8856941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Blindness caused by the eye diseases Retinitis-Pigmentosa and Age-Related-Macular-Degeneration leads to a degeneration of the photoreceptor layer while postsynaptic cells mostly stay intact. In this Paper a new concept for retinal implants is proposed. Instead of converting the incident light to a gray-scale picture with corresponding continuous-value stimulation levels, we here suggest to produce a binary image picture that only highlight edges in order to stimulate the retina solely at points which belong to an edge. An integrated test circuit is designed with a 130 nm BiCMOS process by using cellular neural networks for binary image generation. The circuit yields a simulated maximum rated power consumption of 2.61 mW for a 1000 information processing cells.
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25
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Rattay F, Bassereh H, Stiennon I. Compartment models for the electrical stimulation of retinal bipolar cells. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209123. [PMID: 30557410 PMCID: PMC6296559 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bipolar cells of the retina are among the smallest neurons of the nervous system. For this reason, compared to other neurons, their delay in signaling is minimal. Additionally, the small bipolar cell surface combined with the low membrane conductance causes very little attenuation in the signal from synaptic input to the terminal. The existence of spiking bipolar cells was proven over the last two decades, but until now no complete model including all important ion channel types was published. The present study amends this and analyzes the impact of the number of model compartments on simulation accuracy. Characteristic features like membrane voltages and spike generation were tested and compared for one-, two-, four- and 117-compartment models of a macaque bipolar cell. Although results were independent of the compartment number for low membrane conductances (passive membranes), nonlinear regimes such as spiking required at least a separate axon compartment. At least a four compartment model containing the functionally different segments dendrite, soma, axon and terminal was needed for understanding signaling in spiking bipolar cells. Whereas for intracellular current application models with small numbers of compartments showed quantitatively correct results in many cases, the cell response to extracellular stimulation is sensitive to spatial variation of the electric field and accurate modeling therefore demands for a large number of short compartments even for passive membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Rattay
- Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing, Vienna University of Technology, Wiedner Hauptstrasse, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
| | - Hassan Bassereh
- Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing, Vienna University of Technology, Wiedner Hauptstrasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Isabel Stiennon
- Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing, Vienna University of Technology, Wiedner Hauptstrasse, Vienna, Austria
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26
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Golden JR, Erickson-Davis C, Cottaris NP, Parthasarathy N, Rieke F, Brainard DH, Wandell BA, Chichilnisky EJ. Simulation of visual perception and learning with a retinal prosthesis. J Neural Eng 2018; 16:025003. [PMID: 30523985 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aaf270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The nature of artificial vision with a retinal prosthesis, and the degree to which the brain can adapt to the unnatural input from such a device, are poorly understood. Therefore, the development of current and future devices may be aided by theory and simulations that help to infer and understand what prosthesis patients see. APPROACH A biologically-informed, extensible computational framework is presented here to predict visual perception and the potential effect of learning with a subretinal prosthesis. The framework relies on optimal linear reconstruction of the stimulus from retinal responses to infer the visual information available to the patient. A simulation of the physiological optics of the eye and light responses of the major retinal neurons was used to calculate the optimal linear transformation for reconstructing natural images from retinal activity. The result was then used to reconstruct the visual stimulus during the artificial activation expected from a subretinal prosthesis in a degenerated retina, as a proxy for inferred visual perception. MAIN RESULTS Several simple observations reveal the potential utility of such a simulation framework. The inferred perception obtained with prosthesis activation was substantially degraded compared to the inferred perception obtained with normal retinal responses, as expected given the limited resolution and lack of cell type specificity of the prosthesis. Consistent with clinical findings and the importance of cell type specificity, reconstruction using only ON cells, and not OFF cells, was substantially more accurate. Finally, when reconstruction was re-optimized for prosthesis stimulation, simulating the greatest potential for learning by the patient, the accuracy of inferred perception was much closer to that of healthy vision. SIGNIFICANCE The reconstruction approach thus provides a more complete method for exploring the potential for treating blindness with retinal prostheses than has been available previously. It may also be useful for interpreting patient data in clinical trials, and for improving prosthesis design.
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Im M, Werginz P, Fried SI. Electric stimulus duration alters network-mediated responses depending on retinal ganglion cell type. J Neural Eng 2018; 15:036010. [PMID: 29415876 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aaadc1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To improve the quality of artificial vision that arises from retinal prostheses, it is important to bring electrically-elicited neural activity more in line with the physiological signaling patterns that arise normally in the healthy retina. Our previous study reported that indirect activation produces a closer match to physiological responses in ON retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) than in OFF cells (Im and Fried 2015 J. Physiol. 593 3677-96). This suggests that a preferential activation of ON RGCs would shape the overall retinal response closer to natural signaling. Recently, we found that changes to the rate at which stimulation was delivered could bias responses towards a stronger ON component (Im and Fried 2016a J. Neural Eng. 13 025002), raising the possibility that changes to other stimulus parameters can similarly bias towards stronger ON responses. Here, we explore the effects of changing stimulus duration on the responses in ON and OFF types of brisk transient (BT) and brisk sustained (BS) RGCs. APPROACH We used cell-attached patch clamp to record RGC spiking in the isolated rabbit retina. Targeted RGCs were first classified as ON or OFF type by their light responses, and further sub-classified as BT or BS types by their responses to both light and electric stimuli. Spiking in targeted RGCs was recorded in response to electric pulses with durations varying from 5 to100 ms. Stimulus amplitude was adjusted at each duration to hold total charge constant for all experiments. MAIN RESULTS We found that varying stimulus durations modulated responses differentially for ON versus OFF cells: in ON cells, spike counts decreased significantly with increasing stimulus duration while in OFF cells the changes were more modest. The maximum ratio of ON versus OFF responses occurred at a duration of ~10 ms. The difference in response strength for BT versus BS cells was much larger in ON cells than in OFF cells. SIGNIFICANCE The stimulation rates preferred by subjects during clinical trials are similar to the rates that maximize the ON/OFF response ratio in in vitro testing (Im and Fried 2016a J. Neural Eng. 13 025002). Here, we determine the stimulus duration that produces the strongest bias towards ON responses and speculate that it will further enhance clinical effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maesoon Im
- Department of Ophthalmology, Henry Ford Health System, 1 Ford Place, Detroit, MI 48202, United States of America. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 East Canfield Street, Detroit, MI 48201, United States of America. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Wayne State University College of Engineering, 5050 Anthony Wayne Drive, Detroit, MI 48202, United States of America. Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 50 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America
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28
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Flores T, Lei X, Huang T, Lorach H, Dalal R, Galambos L, Kamins T, Mathieson K, Palanker D. Optimization of pillar electrodes in subretinal prosthesis for enhanced proximity to target neurons. J Neural Eng 2018; 15:036011. [PMID: 29388561 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aaac39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE High-resolution prosthetic vision requires dense stimulating arrays with small electrodes. However, such miniaturization reduces electrode capacitance and penetration of electric field into tissue. We evaluate potential solutions to these problems with subretinal implants based on utilization of pillar electrodes. APPROACH To study integration of three-dimensional (3D) implants with retinal tissue, we fabricated arrays with varying pillar diameter, pitch, and height, and implanted beneath the degenerate retina in rats (Royal College of Surgeons, RCS). Tissue integration was evaluated six weeks post-op using histology and whole-mount confocal fluorescence imaging. The electric field generated by various electrode configurations was calculated in COMSOL, and stimulation thresholds assessed using a model of network-mediated retinal response. MAIN RESULTS Retinal tissue migrated into the space between pillars with no visible gliosis in 90% of implanted arrays. Pillars with 10 μm height reached the middle of the inner nuclear layer (INL), while 22 μm pillars reached the upper portion of the INL. Electroplated pillars with dome-shaped caps increase the active electrode surface area. Selective deposition of sputtered iridium oxide onto the cap ensures localization of the current injection to the pillar top, obviating the need to insulate the pillar sidewall. According to computational model, pillars having a cathodic return electrode above the INL and active anodic ring electrode at the surface of the implant would enable six times lower stimulation threshold, compared to planar arrays with circumferential return, but suffer from greater cross-talk between the neighboring pixels. SIGNIFICANCE 3D electrodes in subretinal prostheses help reduce electrode-tissue separation and decrease stimulation thresholds to enable smaller pixels, and thereby improve visual acuity of prosthetic vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Flores
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
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29
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Hurst J, Vitkute M, Hofmann K, Müller S, Löscher M, Bartz-Schmidt KU, Spitzer MS, Schnichels S, Januschowski K. Comparison of Different Cell Culture Media in the Model of the Isolated and Superfused Bovine Retina: Investigating the Limits of More Physiological Perfusion Solutions. Curr Eye Res 2017; 43:232-243. [PMID: 29111831 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2017.1387668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The isolated superfused retina is a standardized tool in ophthalmological research. However, stable electroretinogram (ERG) responses can only be obtained for around eight hours; therefore, limiting its use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term potential of different cell culture media and to promote long-term testing based on the results obtained. MATERIALS AND METHODS For the experimental procedure bovine retinae were prepared and perfused with the standard Sickel solution and an ERG was performed. After recording stable a- or b-waves, different media (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM), MACS, and Neurobasal) were superfused for 45 minutes. ERG recovery was monitored overall for 75 minutes. Analysis of the mRNA expression of Thy-1, GFAP, Bax/Bcl-2-ratio, Rhodopsin, and Opsin via qRT-PCR was performed directly after ERG recording on the same retina. RESULTS None of the tested media had a negative effect on a-wave amplitudes, although b-wave amplitudes decreased (DMEM) or increased (MACS and Neurobasal) compared to the standard solution (Sickel) after 45 minutes of exposure. However, after 75 minutes of wash-out, no difference to the standard solution alone could be observed. Exposure to different media either had no effect or decreased the Opsin and Rhodopsin mRNA levels. Thy-1 expression was strongly diminished in DMEM and MACS (by 2-3-fold), whereas incubation in Neurobasal medium led to a slight increase compared to incubation with the standard solution. Furthermore, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio indicated an anti-apoptotic effect (Bax/Bcl-2 = 0.16; p < 0.05) for Neurobasal. CONCLUSION Neurobasal medium displayed the best electrophysiological properties in the short-term and may be applicable for stable long-term escalation testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Hurst
- a Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
| | - Milda Vitkute
- a Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
| | - Kathleen Hofmann
- a Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
| | - Sebastian Müller
- a Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
| | - Marina Löscher
- a Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
| | | | - Martin S Spitzer
- a Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany.,b Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sven Schnichels
- a Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
| | - Kai Januschowski
- a Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany.,c Eye Hospital , Sulzbach , Saar , Germany
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Watterson WJ, Montgomery RD, Taylor RP. Fractal Electrodes as a Generic Interface for Stimulating Neurons. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6717. [PMID: 28751652 PMCID: PMC5532230 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06762-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The prospect of replacing damaged body parts with artificial implants is being transformed from science fiction to science fact through the increasing application of electronics to interface with human neurons in the limbs, the brain, and the retina. We propose bio-inspired electronics which adopt the fractal geometry of the neurons they interface with. Our focus is on retinal implants, although performance improvements will be generic to many neuronal types. The key component is a multifunctional electrode; light passes through this electrode into a photodiode which charges the electrode. Its electric field then stimulates the neurons. A fractal electrode might increase both light transmission and neuron proximity compared to conventional Euclidean electrodes. These advantages are negated if the fractal’s field is less effective at stimulating neurons. We present simulations demonstrating how an interplay of fractal properties generates enhanced stimulation; the electrode voltage necessary to stimulate all neighboring neurons is over 50% less for fractal than Euclidean electrodes. This smaller voltage can be achieved by a single diode compared to three diodes required for the Euclidean electrode’s higher voltage. This will allow patients, for the first time, to see with the visual acuity necessary for navigating rooms and streets.
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Affiliation(s)
- W J Watterson
- Physics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
| | - R D Montgomery
- Physics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - R P Taylor
- Physics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
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Werginz P, Rattay F. The impact of calcium current reversal on neurotransmitter release in the electrically stimulated retina. J Neural Eng 2016; 13:046013. [DOI: 10.1088/1741-2560/13/4/046013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Kameneva T, Maturana MI, Hadjinicolaou AE, Cloherty SL, Ibbotson MR, Grayden DB, Burkitt AN, Meffin H. Retinal ganglion cells: mechanisms underlying depolarization block and differential responses to high frequency electrical stimulation of ON and OFF cells. J Neural Eng 2016; 13:016017. [DOI: 10.1088/1741-2560/13/1/016017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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