Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

Other

Northrop Corporation

Second Sight, LLC

Abraham N Seidman

Robert Jay Greenberg

Joseph H Schulman

Richard P Williamson

Lee Jay Mandell

Reza P Rassool

A method and apparatus for improving visual acuity when providing a visual image from a 'high' resolution input device to a 'low' resolution output device. The described invention is of particular use when the output device is an array of electrodes as part of a retinal prosthesis used to restore vision to a visually-impaired patient. In that various limitations may, within the foreseeable future, limit the density of such an electrode array (and thus the resolution of the output image), the present invention teaches techniques to assign processed pixel subsets of a higher resolution image to a single electrode. By varying the pixel subsets, e.g., by jittering, and/or altering the processing criteria, the perceived visual acuity may be further improved. Alternatively and additionally, such processing may be further extended to drive neighboring electrodes in combination to thus stimulate virtual electrode sites and thus further enhance visual acuity.

Video processing methods for improving visual acuity and/or perceived image resolution

A method and apparatus for forming and controlling a microwave Bessel beam which may be utilized for examining microstructure including very early stage tumors.

Steerable, thin far-field electromagnetic beam

Directly modulating a beam of photons onto the retinas of patients who have vision impairment or blindness. Its purpose is to supply enough imaging energy to retinal prosthetics implanted in the eye which operate essentially by having light, activating photoreceptors, or photoelectrical material. Providing sufficient light amplification logarithmically. Output light level being at a safe level. Providing balanced biphasic stimulation with no net charge injection into the eye. Optical and electronic magnification is used for the image with an optical zoom lens. It would not be feasible to zoom in on items of particular interest or necessity. Without proper adjustment, improper threshold amplitudes would obtain, also uncomfortable maximum thresholds. Proper adjustment for the threshold amplitudes and maximum comfortable thresholds is provided. The individual stimulation sites in the retina give different color perceptions, then colors of the viewed scene is correlated with specific stimulation sites to provide color vision.

Logarithmic light intensifier for use with photoreceptor-based implanted retinal prosthetics and those prosthetics

Directly modulating a beam of photons onto the retinas of patients who have extreme vision impairment or blindness. Supplying enough imaging energy to retinal prosthetics implanted in the eye which operate by having light (external to the eye) activating photoreceptors, or photoelectrical material. Providing sufficient light amplification and does it logarithmically. Having sufficient output light power, the output light level still remains at a safe level. Providing balanced biphasic stimulation with no net charge injection into the eye. Both optical and electronic magnification for the image is incorporated. It would not be feasible to zoom in on items of particular interest or necessity. Improper threshold amplitudes would obtain uncomfortable maximum thresholds. Proper adjustment for the threshold amplitudes and maximum comfortable thresholds is provided. The extent that the individual stimulation sites in the retina give different color perceptions, upon stimulation, colors of the viewed scene is correlated with specific stimulation sites providing a certain amount of color vision.

This invention is for directly modulating a beam of photons onto the retinas of patients who have extreme vision impairment or blindness. Its purpose is to supply enough imaging energy to retinal prosthetics implanted in the eye which operate essentially by having light (external to the eye) activating photoreceptors, or photo-electrical material. The invention provides sufficient light amplification and does it logarithmically. While it has sufficient output light power, the output light level still remains at a safe level. Most preferred embodiments of this invention provide balanced biphasic stimulation with no net charge injection into the eye. Both optical and electronic magnification for the image, as for example, using an optical zoom lens, is incorporated. Otherwise, it would not be feasible to zoom in on items of particular interest or necessity. Without proper adjustment, improper threshold amplitudes would obtain, as well as uncomfortable maximum thresholds. Therefore, to adjust for these, a way of proper adjustment for the threshold amplitudes and maximum comfortable thresholds is provided. Furthermore, to the extent that individual stimulation sites in the retina give different color perceptions, upon stimulation, then colors of the viewed scene is correlated with specific stimulation sites to provide a certain amount of color vision.

The operation of an electronic neural computer is described. This electronic neural computer solves for the optimal path in a space of 'cost functions' which are represented as delays at the nodes of a grid (in two, three, four, or more dimensions). Time gating by delays lets the optimal solution thread the maze of the network first. The neural computer starts to compute all possible paths through the cost function field and shuts down after the first (optimal solution) emerges at the target node. The cost function delays are set from outside the neural computer architecture.

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Beverly Hills, CA, United States of America

Abraham N Seidman