1
|
Spencer MJ, Kameneva T, Grayden DB, Burkitt AN, Meffin H. Neural activity shaping utilizing a partitioned target pattern. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 33684894 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/abecc4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Electrical stimulation of neural tissue is used in both clinical and experimental devices to evoke a desired spatiotemporal pattern of neural activity. These devices induce a local field that drives neural activation, referred to as an activating function or generator signal. In visual prostheses, the spread of generator signal from each electrode within the neural tissue results in a spread of visual perception, referred to as a phosphene. In cases where neighboring phosphenes overlap, it is desirable to use current steering or neural activity shaping strategies to manipulate the generator signal between the electrodes to provide greater control over the total pattern of neural activity. Applying opposite generator signal polarities in neighboring regions of the retina forces the generator signal to pass through zero at an intermediate point, thus inducing low neural activity that may be perceived as a high-contrast line. This approach provides a form of high contrast visual perception, but it requires partitioning of the target pattern into those regions that use positive or negative generator signals. This discrete optimization is an NP-hard problem that is subject to being trapped in detrimental local minima. This investigation proposes a new partitioning method using image segmentation to determine the most beneficial positive and negative generator signal regions. Utilizing a database of 1000 natural images, the method is compared to alternative approaches based upon the mean squared error of the outcome. Under nominal conditions and with a set computation limit, partitioning provided improvement for 32% of these images. This percentage increased to 89% when utilizing image pre-processing to emphasize perceptual features of the images. The percentage of images that were dealt with most effectively with image segmentation increased as lower computation limits were imposed on the algorithms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Spencer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne - Parkville Campus, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, AUSTRALIA
| | - Tatiana Kameneva
- Telecommunication, Electrical, Robotics and Biomedical Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122, AUSTRALIA
| | - David B Grayden
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne - Parkville Campus, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, AUSTRALIA
| | - Anthony N Burkitt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne - Parkville Campus, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, AUSTRALIA
| | - Hamish Meffin
- Australian College of Optometry, Parkville, Carlton, Victoria, 3010, AUSTRALIA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Alqahtani A, Al Abed A, Lovell NH, Dokos S. Optimizing Stimulation Strategies for Retinal Electrical Stimulation: a Modelling Study. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020; 2019:2872-2875. [PMID: 31946491 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2019.8856918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In this research, a continuum multi-compartmental model of retinal electrical stimulation was utilized to find the best strategy for activating retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Two types of return electrodes configuration placed suprachoroidally were used: monopolar and hexapolar. The current was delivered either simultaneously or sequentially with two kinds of waveforms: biphasic symmetric charge-balanced cathodic and anodic first pulses. Our results revealed there is no significant difference in current threshold between single monopolar and hexapolar stimulation regardless of the applied current stimulus waveform. Moreover, sequential stimulation for both monopolar or hexapolar was more effective in reducing current threshold than simultaneous stimulation when biphasic cathodic first pulses were used. Concurrent monopolar stimulation was significant in reducing the current threshold compared to single monopolar whereas concurrent hexapolar did not alter the current threshold. Overall, concurrent monopolar stimulation was efficacious in reducing current threshold regardless of the stimulus waveforms and sequential stimulation was more useful only with biphasic cathodic first pulses.
Collapse
|
3
|
Kuo PH, Wong OY, Tzeng CK, Wu PW, Chiao CC, Chen PH, Chen PC, Tsai YC, Chu FL, Ohta J, Tokuda T, Noda T, Wu CY. Improved Charge Pump Design and Ex Vivo Experimental Validation of CMOS 256-Pixel Photovoltaic-Powered Subretinal Prosthetic Chip. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2019; 67:1490-1504. [PMID: 31494538 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2019.2938807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
An improved design of CMOS 256-pixel photovoltaic-powered implantable chip for subretinal prostheses is presented. In the proposed subretinal chip, a high-efficiency fully-integrated 4× charge pump is designed and integrated with on-chip photovoltaic (PV) cells and a 256-pixel array with active pixel sensors (APS) for image light sensing, biphasic constant current stimulators, and electrodes. Thus the PV voltage generated by infrared (IR) light can be boosted to above 1V so that the charge injection is increased. The proposed chip adopts the 32-phase divisional power supply scheme (DPSS) to reduce the required supply current and thus the required area of the PV cells. The proposed chip is designed and fabricated in 180-nm CMOS image sensor (CIS) technology and post-processed with biocompatible IrOx electrodes and silicone packaging. From the electrical measurement results, the measured stimulation frequency is 28.3 Hz under the equivalent electrode impedance load. The measured maximum output stimulation current is 7.1 μA and the amount of injected charges per pixel is 7.36 nC under image light intensity of 3200 lux and IR light intensity of 100 mW/cm2. The function of the proposed chip has been further validated successfully with the ex vivo experimental results by recording the electrophysiological responses of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) of retinas from retinal degeneration (rd1) mice with a multi-electrode array (MEA). The measured average threshold injected charge is about 3.97 nC which is consistent with that obtained from the patch clamp recording on retinas from wild type (C57BL/6) mice with a single electrode pair.
Collapse
|
4
|
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: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Spencer TC, Fallon JB, Abbott CJ, Allen PJ, Brandli A, Luu CD, Epp SB, Shivdasani MN. Electrical Field Shaping Techniques in a Feline Model of Retinal Degeneration. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2018; 2018:1222-1225. [PMID: 30440610 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2018.8512473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The majority of preclinical studies investigating multi-electrode field shaping stimulation strategies for retinal prostheses, have been conducted in normally-sighted animals. This study aimed to reassess the effectiveness of two electrical field shaping techniques that have been shown to work in healthy retinae, in a more clinically relevant animal model of photoreceptor degeneration. Four cats were unilaterally blinded via intravitreal injections of adenosine triphosphate. Cortical responses to traditional monopolar (MP) stimulation, focused multipolar (FMP) stimulation and two-dimensional current steering were recorded. Contrary to our previous work, we found no significant difference between the spread of cortical activation elicited by FMP and MP stimulation, and we were not able to reproduce cortical responses to singleelectrode retinal stimulation using two-dimensional current steering. These findings suggest that while shown to be effective in normally-sighted animals, these techniques may not be readily translatable to patients with retinal degeneration and require further optimization.
Collapse
|