Continued Study of Artificial Vision: Evaluation of the BrainPort® System and Investigation of Visual Ambulation
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Ocular |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Ophthalmology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 10 - 24 |
| Updated: | 4/21/2016 |
| Start Date: | October 2011 |
| End Date: | September 2017 |
| Contact: | Maryan Mathis, MS, BSN |
| Email: | MMathis@chmca.org |
| Phone: | 330-543-8272 |
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of an artificial vision system called
Brainport system in blind patients To investigate visual, and oculomotor (eye motion)
mechanisms involved in the use of the Brainport system.
Brainport system in blind patients To investigate visual, and oculomotor (eye motion)
mechanisms involved in the use of the Brainport system.
The prevalence of blindness in the US adult population is 0.8% and ranges from about 3/10000
to 15/10000 in children. Data from world health organization show that about 500,000
children become blind each year. The annual cost of blindness to the federal government is
$4 billion and the cost of a lifetime of support and unpaid taxes for a blind person is
about $1 million.
There is a need to restore vision for blind patients. Research on vision restoration
develops fast. There are multiple types of approaches toward producing useful artificial
vision. One of them directly sends images from a video camera to the visual cortex via an
electrode array that is intracranially placed on the visual cortex of blind patients.
Another one surgically places an electrode array beneath the retina for patients whose optic
nerves are still healthy. Both of them require major surgery and have high risks, and
neither is available for routine clinical application.
The one that is non-invasive and easy to use is called the BrainPort® system. The BrainPort®
system is manufactured by Wicab, Inc. It is commercially available and affordable to any
consumer. This system is a novel, bionic, non-invasive, vision bypass system that conveys
environment images from a spectacle-frame-mounted video-camera to the brain via an
electro-tactile tongue array. The electro-tactile stimulation delivered by the tongue-array
placed on the tongue allows users to interpret the images of objects in their camera's
visual field.
to 15/10000 in children. Data from world health organization show that about 500,000
children become blind each year. The annual cost of blindness to the federal government is
$4 billion and the cost of a lifetime of support and unpaid taxes for a blind person is
about $1 million.
There is a need to restore vision for blind patients. Research on vision restoration
develops fast. There are multiple types of approaches toward producing useful artificial
vision. One of them directly sends images from a video camera to the visual cortex via an
electrode array that is intracranially placed on the visual cortex of blind patients.
Another one surgically places an electrode array beneath the retina for patients whose optic
nerves are still healthy. Both of them require major surgery and have high risks, and
neither is available for routine clinical application.
The one that is non-invasive and easy to use is called the BrainPort® system. The BrainPort®
system is manufactured by Wicab, Inc. It is commercially available and affordable to any
consumer. This system is a novel, bionic, non-invasive, vision bypass system that conveys
environment images from a spectacle-frame-mounted video-camera to the brain via an
electro-tactile tongue array. The electro-tactile stimulation delivered by the tongue-array
placed on the tongue allows users to interpret the images of objects in their camera's
visual field.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Less than 25 years of age and be able to cooperate for full study protocol
- Have a clinical diagnosis of blindness (light perception or worse), or 20/20 vision
corrected or otherwise.
- Have completed a complete ophthalmic evaluation.
- Patients recruited must be able to undergo the training to use the BrainPort® system.
- Sign informed consent (family) or assent (patient).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Have any neurologic disease, developmental delay, congenital genetic syndromes,
congenital organ malformation, malformation syndromes or metabolic disease.
- Be on any medications known to affect the visual system
We found this trial at
1
site
1 Perkins Square
Akron, Ohio 44308
Akron, Ohio 44308
(330) 543-1000
Principal Investigator: Richard M Hertle, M.D.
Phone: 330-543-5290
Akron Children's Hospital From humble beginnings as a day nursery in 1890, Akron Children
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