Apparatus and method for visual stimulation indication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9744359-B2
Application number	US-201615179725-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Jul 20, 2006
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

Methods and devices for verifying that proper visual stimulation is applied to the visual prostheses are described. In one of the methods, a visual stimulation system implanted on a subject is simulated externally. An external testing device is also discussed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An external testing device for simulation of a implantable visual prosthesis stimulation system implanted on a subject, comprising:
A non-implantable wireless receiver for wirelessly receiving visual information signals generated from a video processing unit, the non-implantable wireless receiver simulating and mimicking electrical functionalities of the implantable visual prosthesis stimulation system; and
a non-implantable display unit, viewable by a clinician, connected to an output of the non-implantable wireless receiver, the non-implantable display unit visually monitoring the visual information signals wirelessly received through the non-implantable wireless receiver and displaying the visual information signals using image elements, in an array pattern simulating and mimicking an array of electrodes of the implantable visual prosthesis stimulation system, each image element corresponding to a specific electrode of the array of electrodes of the implantable visual prosthesis stimulation system, to test the function of the video processing unit.

2. The external testing device of claim 1 , wherein the non-implantable wireless receiver and the non-implantable display unit are two separate components.

3. The external testing device of claim 1 , wherein the non-implantable wireless receiver and the non-implantable display unit are part of a single component.

4. The external testing device of claim 1 , further comprising an external coil connectable with the non-implantable wireless receiver and adapted to send the visual information signals to the non-implantable wireless receiver.

5. The external testing device of claim 4 , wherein the external coil is configured to receive stimulation patterns from the video processing unit, wherein the stimulation patterns are based on visual information signals processed by the video processing unit.

6. The external testing device of claim 1 , wherein the non-implantable display unit comprises a plurality of visualization devices, each visualization device displaying one image element.

7. The external testing device of claim 6 , wherein each visualization device of the plurality of visualization devices corresponds to a specific electrode of an array of electrodes of the visual prosthesis stimulation system.

8. The external testing device of claim 6 , wherein the non-implantable display unit comprises a power switch to switch on power supply to the non-implantable display unit and a test button to turn on all visualization devices of the plurality of visualization devices.

9. The external testing device of claim 1 , wherein the non-implantable wireless receiver is adapted to simulate electrical functionalities of another visual prosthesis stimulation system, wherein the visual information signals to the visual prosthesis stimulation system do not correspond to the signals to the another visual prosthesis stimulation system.

10. A method for externally simulating a visual prosthesis stimulation system implanted on a subject and testing the function of a video processing unit, the method comprising:
wirelessly receiving visual information signals generated from a video processing unit using a non-implantable wireless receiver, the non-implantable wireless receiver simulating electrical functionalities of the visual prosthesis stimulation system;
visually monitoring the visual information signals received through the non-implantable wireless receiver using a non-implantable display unit;
displaying the visual information signals using image elements in an array pattern simulating and mimicking an array of electrodes of the implantable visual prosthesis stimulation system, each image element corresponding to a specific electrode of the array of electrodes of the implantable visual prosthesis stimulation system, to test the function of the video processing unit.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the non-implantable wireless receiver and the non-implantable display unit are two separate components.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the non-implantable wireless receiver and the non-implantable display unit are part of a single component.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the visual information signals processed through the non-implantable wireless receiver are from an external coil.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising selecting a video processing unit adapted to process visual information signals and transform the visual information signals to stimulation patterns to be sent to the external coil.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the non-implantable display unit comprises a plurality of visualization devices, each visualization device displaying one image element.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein each visualization device of the plurality of visualization devices corresponds to a specific electrode of an array of electrodes of the visual prosthesis stimulation system.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the non-implantable display unit comprises a power switch to switch on power supply to the non-implantable display unit and a test button to turn on all visualization devices of the plurality of visualization devices.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the non-implantable wireless receiver is adapted to simulate electrical functionalities of another visual prosthesis stimulation system, wherein the signals to the visual prosthesis stimulation system do not correspond to the signals to the another visual prosthesis stimulation system.

19. A method for simulating a visual prosthesis stimulation system implanted on a subject, the method comprising:
providing a video camera associated with a pair of glasses;
capturing an image through the video camera;
sending the image to a video processing unit;
converting the image to a digital image;
processing the digital image to obtain a processed digital image;
wirelessly receiving visual information signals generated from a video processing unit using a non-implantable wireless receiver, the non-implantable wireless receiver simulating electrical functionalities of the visual prosthesis stimulation system;
visually monitoring the visual information signals received through the non-implantable wireless receiver using a non-implantable display unit;
displaying the visual information signals using image elements in an array pattern simulating and mimicking an array of electrodes of the implantable visual prosthesis stimulation system, each image element corresponding to a specific electrode of the array of electrodes of the implantable visual prosthesis stimulation system, to test the function of the video processing unit.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the test array system comprises:
a non-implantable wireless receiver for processing the visual information signals associated with the processed digital image; and
a non-implantable display unit for visually monitoring the visual information signals processed through the test board unit.

Assignees

• Second Sight Medical Products Inc

Inventors

• Vyas Neha
• Greenberg Robert J
• Roy Arup
• Webber Donald
• Castro Richard Agustin
• Reinhold John
• Mcclure Kelly

Classifications

• G09B23/28

  for medicine · CPC title

• A61N1/0543

  Retinal electrodes · CPC title

• A61N1/37241

  providing test stimulations · CPC title

• A61N1/37247

  User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means · CPC title

• G09B21/00

  Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute (audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B) · CPC title