AI-Powered Artificial Vision for Visual Prostheses

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA · Nov 1, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This early, small study is testing AI-powered artificial vision for people who already have a visual prosthesis (a kind of bionic eye). Researchers want to see if different ways of turning visual information into stimulation for the device can improve how users perceive light shapes, recognize patterns, and understand scenes. They’ll look at how well people can do simple tasks like identifying objects, guiding their movement, and describing what they see, using either direct stimulation of the implant or a screen-based approach that the device translates into signals. The goal is to develop smarter, practical artificial vision to help with real-life tasks such as navigation and reading.

Eligible participants include adults 18 and over who have an implanted visual prosthesis and are cleared to participate, plus the ability to travel to testing (often over 3–5 days of sessions totaling several hours each day). Sighted adults may join as controls if they meet criteria. During visits, people will perform brief perceptual and behavioral tasks (for example, detecting a stimulus, drawing a perceived size, or walking to a target) while researchers measure accuracy and response time and may track eye movements. This is a device-based study, focusing on safety and feasibility, and results are not yet available—the trial is currently enrolling by invitation with an estimated completion in 2027.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Criteria for inclusion of visual prosthesis users:
• • Subject must be at least 18 years of age;
• • Subject has been implanted with a visual prosthesis (e.g., Argus II, Orion, Cortivis)
• • Subject has healed from surgery and the surgeon has cleared the subject for programming;
• • Subject has the cognitive and communication ability to participate in the study (i.e., follow spoken directions, perform tests, and give feedback);
• • Subject is willing to conduct psychophysics testing up to 4-6 hours per day of testing on 3-5 consecutive days;
• • Subject is capable of understanding patient information materials and giving written informed consent;
• • Subject is able to walk unassisted.
• Criteria for inclusion of sighted control subjects:
• • Subject speaks English;
• • Subject must be at least 18 years of age;
• • Subject has visual acuity of 20/40 or better (corrected);
• • Subject has the cognitive and communication ability to participate in the study (i.e., follow spoken directions, perform tests, and give feedback);
• • Subject is capable of understanding participant information materials and giving written informed consent.
• • Subject is able to walk unassisted
• Exclusion criteria:
• • Visual prosthesis users: Subject is unwilling or unable to travel to testing facility for at least 3 days of testing within a one-week timeframe;
• • Sighted controls: Subject has a history of motion sickness or flicker vertigo
• • All: Subject has language or hearing impairment