Retinal Prosthesis

Abstract

Retinal prostheses can provide a sense of sight to people with severe visual impairment due to retinal photoreceptor degeneration. Several devices have been evaluated in humans, and some devices have received regulatory approval. Clinical research studies have shown that people with retinal implants have improved navigation skills but cannot read letters in a normal way (rather it takes them several seconds to recognize a letter). Improvements in visual acuity may be possible through denser electrode arrays or image processing strategies that yield more focus, natural responses from the retina.