Restoration of visual function by electrical stimulation for blind disease

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12142
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90150:Medical assistive technology-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Kentaro Nishida 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 寄附講座講師 (70624229)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 人工視覚

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Despite recent medical developments, some severe eye diseases still have no effective therapy. These diseases include retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which is characterized by a gradual loss of photoreceptors which can cause night blindness and visual field defects and even lead to blindness under severe conditions. Artificial vision is one of the several therapeutic attempt for RP. We evaluated the efficacy of new electrode for our artificial vision system. We established the experimental system for evaluating the efficacy of artificial vision in rats and found that our half diameter stimulating electrode comparing with our conventional electrode can elicit electrical evoked potentials in RCS rat as much as our conventional electrode does. Our result suggests that the half diameter of stimulating electrode can be used as minimally invasive stimulating electrode.

Free Research Field

眼科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

人工視覚の有効性を評価するために、ラットに刺激電極を埋植し、適切な参照電極の位置の検索、及び最適化を行った。その結果、視神経電気刺激による誘発電位の特性を見いだした。また、人工視覚では電極による侵襲が問題となるが、今回、従来型と比べて直径が半分の刺激電極を用いて視神経に電気刺激を行い、従来型の刺激電極と同等の誘発電位を得ることが出来たため、この電極を低侵襲な刺激電極として用いることが出来る可能性がある。低侵襲な刺激電極を用いることで、人工視覚がより安全に使用でき、刺激電極が小型になったことから、人工視覚の欠点である分解能の低さを改善できる可能性がある。