In the frame of the ESPRIT Programme (Reactive LTR 22 527 - Fourth Framwork CEU Programme) MiViP has been conducted. It was a 3 years project aiming at realising microsystems based prototypes in the field of rehabilitation engineering, and at demonstrating the efficacy of a functional prototype of visual prosthesis interfaced with the optic nerve. Objectives of this microsystems project consisted in designing an artificial eye driving, via an external visual processor, an implantable neurostimulator including a spiral cuff electrode wrapped around the optic nerve and a transcutaneous power and data RF link. Acting upon a peripheral and passive neural structure is an advantage in blindness rehabilitation, provided that safe and selective electrical activation of its fibres would be feasible. Partners in this project had already developed an already commercialised spiral cuff electrode and demonstrated its efficicacy in selective fibers activation. They also acquired a specific experience in the design of implantable electronic devices, analogue and digital specific integrated circuits (ASIC's) and biologically inspired analogue VLSI circuits and artificial retinas.
Beside their use in the MiViP visual prosthesis, some components were designed for other applications such as the artificial retina for a non-invasive sensory substitution visual prosthesis, the neurostimulator in titanium (Ti) housing for general rehabilitation purposes, the Ti packaging techniques with Pt into glass feedthroughs, the cuff electrode and the RF transcutaneous link for various biomedical implant applications. MiViP resulted from a global synergy of Belgian SME (NeuroTech) and University laboratories (GREN & DICE), whose long term goal is rehabilitation of vision by several methods (enhancement of vision for low vision people, sensory substitution visual aids, implantable visual prosthesis for totally blind people, etc.). The other partners included a research institute involved in microsystems design and implantable devices (CNM), a company manufacturing and developing advanced electronic circuits and hybrids for space, military and biomedical applications (MEL), and two non-EU foreign institutions with outstanding knowledge in artificial vision (CSEM) and neural control (ANCL). About 140 000 blind people in the industrialised countries could benefit from MIVIP, among which about one half suffer from Retinitis Pigmentosa.
MIVIP has started on December 1st, 1996, and has been completed on September 30, 2000.
A new grant application for the continuation of the MiViP project was successfully evaluated by the CEU. Accordingly, original developments and an optimization of the optic nerve visual prosthesis were conducted in the frame of this project called OPTIVIP.
Partners
The main results of MiViP are available on this Web site.
Last update: March 19th, 2007.
This website has been designed by the laboratory with the help of Pierre
Dubrulle.
For comments please contact:
Brigitte Dieu < brigitte.dieu@gren.ucl.ac.be
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