Page 82 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition May-Junel 2022

THE ICVP SYSTEM USES A GROUP OF
AN OVERVIEW OF THE ICVP DEVICE IN ACTION
R. Troyk, Executive Director, Pritzker Institute of
Biomedical Science and Engineering at Illinois
Institute of Technology, and a Professor of
Biomedical Engineering.
Troyk said in a statement, “This is an
incredibly exciting moment, not just for the field
of biomedical science, but more importantly
for people with blindness and their loved
ones around the world.” This also marks the
completion of nearly three decades of Illinois
Tech research's work. Their efforts have been
driven towards providing artificial sight to those
with blindness due to eye disease or trauma.
Furthermore, Illinois Tech researchers were
awarded $2.5 million by The National Institutes
of Health (NIH) for the first year of a three-
year project. This includes implanting the new
type of wireless visual prosthesis
system in volunteers. The
funding will be provided as part
of the NIH’s The Brain Research
through Advancing Innovative
Neurotechnologies (BRAIN)
initiative.
This prosthesis may be the only
possible advanced visual sensory
aid for many of those individuals
who are affected by total blindness
and do not have intact retinas or
optic nerves, but only the visual
cortex - the area of the brain that
allows people to see.
Even if the eyes are no longer
78 THE INDIAN OPTICIAN MAY-JUNE 2022
FULLY IMPLANTED, MINIATURISED,
WIRELESS STIMULATORS TO HELP
EXPLORE WHETHER INDIVIDUALS
WITH NO SIGHT CAN VISUALISE
RENDERED IMAGES IN REAL-TIME
THROUGH VISUAL PERCEPTION
able to communicate with the brain, the brain
is a powerful processing system that receives
millions of nerve signals from the eyes. As
Troyk further highlighted, “The researchers can
intervene by bypassing the eye and optic nerve
and going directly to the area of the brain called
the visual cortex.”
The Illinois Tech team is now prepared to
surgically implant the devices, after two years
of the preclinical phase where they worked
with surgeons to develop and refine surgical
procedures. During the clinical phase, the plan
is to test whether this device will provide study
participants with an improved ability to navigate
and perform basic orientation tasks.
Illinois Tech is partnering with Rush University
Medical Center, The Chicago Lighthouse, Johns
Hopkins University, the University of Texas at
Dallas, Microprobes for Life Science, Sigenics, Inc,
and The University of Chicago with Troyk serving
as the principal investigator.
THE ICVP CHIP EASILY FITS INSIDE
A PENNY AND IS SIMILAR TO A
CELL PHONE NETWORK
TECH UPDATE