Estimation of phosphene spatial variability for visual prosthesis applications

Obeid, Iyad;Veraart, Claude;Delbeke, Jean
(2010) Artificial Organs : replacement, recovery, and regeneration — Vol. 34, n° 5, p. 358-365 (2010)

Files

No attached file found for this publication.

Details

Authors
  • Obeid, Iyad
    Author
  • Veraart, ClaudeUCLouvain
    Author
  • Delbeke, JeanUCLouvain
    Author
Abstract
Visual prostheses are the focus of intensive research efforts to restore some measure of useful vision to blind or near-blind patients. The development of such technology is being guided to an extent by tools that simulate prosthesis behavior for healthy sighted subjects in order to assess system requirements and configurations. These simulators, however, typically assume purely deterministic phosphene properties and thus do not apply any variability to phosphene size, intensity, or location. We address this issue by presenting data on phosphene variability measured in a blind human subject fitted with an optic nerve prosthesis. In order to correct for normal limitations in human-pointing accuracy, the experimental conditions were repeated with sighted subjects. We conclude that identical optic nerve stimulations can result in phosphenes whose perceived locations vary by up to 5 degrees of deviation angle and 10 degrees of position angle. The consistency of phosphenes presented in the peripheral field of view can vary by an additional 3 degrees.
Affiliations

Citations

Obeid, I., Veraart, C., & Delbeke, J. (2010). Estimation of phosphene spatial variability for visual prosthesis applications. Artificial Organs : replacement, recovery, and regeneration, 34(5), 358-365. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1594.2009.00878.x (Original work published 2010)