Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

Johns Hopkins University

Doheny Eye Institute

Cortigent, Inc.

Arup Roy

Robert Jay Greenberg

Kelly Hobart McClure

Sumit Yadav

Rongqing Dai

Richard Agustin Castro

Avraham I Caspi

Matthew J McMahon

Chunhong Zhou

Pishoy Maksy

John J Reinhold

James Singleton Little

Dao Min Zhou

Kea-Tiong Tang

Ione Fine

Alan Matthew Horsager

Mark Salman Humayun

Scott M Loftin

Sanjay Gaikwad

David Daomin Zhou

Susan McCord

James David Weiland

Jessy D Dorn

Francesco Merlini

Peter Meilstrup

Da-Yu Chang

Scott Greenwald

Amy Hines

Timothy M Nugent

Donald Webber

Mark D Welch

Neha Vyas

Amy Chu Peishuan Hines

Philip C Halbert

Paul Gibson

Mark S Humayun

Xiaofan Wu

Neha J Parikh

Solene Bourgeois

Christopher A Wilson

Matthew S Johannes

Ryan J Murphy

Kevin David Wolfe

Mark Humayan

Philippe Martin Burlina

Seth D Billings

Kapil D Katyal

Gislin Dagnelie

Derek M Rollend

Matthew P Para

Alan Horsager

Paul E Rosendall

John B Helder

Duane C Cornish

Jonathan M Oben

Uday Patel

Jone Fine

James David Welland

Peter Melistrup

Richard Augustin Castro

Greg Seifert

Dean M Kleissas

Kelly Mcclure

Donald A Webber

John R Reinhold

Avraham L Caspl

Matthew Mcmahon

Neha Jagdish Parikh

Matthew J Mcmahon

Mathew Mcmahon

Kelly H Mcclure

The present invention is a depth sensing visual prosthesis. By depth sensing objects within an image, items located at a certain depths from the user can be removed to declutter an image. The resulting image presents only objects within a range of depth from the visual prosthesis user. Depth sensing can be accomplished in various ways including structured light, time of flight, or preferably, a stereo camera pair.

Depth filter for visual prostheses

The present invention is a method of processing a video image in an electronic video processor, including the steps of receiving an input image having an input field of view, generating a processed image from the input image, and having an output field of view smaller than the input field of view, searching for a predetermined pattern within the input image, providing an indication when the predetermined pattern is found in the input image, zooming the processed image to the input field of view and highlighting the predetermined pattern in the processed image in response to the indication.

Pattern detection and location in a processed image

In electrically stimulating neural tissue it is important to prevent over stimulation and unbalanced stimulation, which would cause damage to the neural tissue, the electrode, or both. It is critical that neural tissue is not subjected to any direct current or alternating current above a safe threshold. Further, it is important to identify defective electrodes, as continued use may result in neural damage and further electrode damage. The present invention presents system and stimulator control mechanisms to prevent damage to neural tissue.

Method and apparatus to provide safety checks for neural stimulation

The present invention is an improved system for use of eye tracking including spatial mapping percepts in a visual prosthesis by presenting an electrically induced precept through a visual prosthesis, requesting a subject look to the direction of the percept and tracking their eye movement. Eye movement is both faster and more accurate than asking a visual prosthesis user to point to the location of a percept. This method can be beneficial in a retinal prosthesis, but is particularly useful in a cortical visual prosthesis where visual cortex does not match the retinotopic map. Methods are presented for calibrating an eye tracker. Eye tracking hardware may also be used for blanking video information base on the subject's natural blink reflex.

Uses for eye tracking in a visual prosthesis

The present invention is an improved visual prosthesis including a video processing unit with user controls optimized for use by blind individuals. The controls include easily identifiable shapes. The controls are programmable to provide improved usability with a simple tactile interface.

Visual prosthesis including an improved video processing unit

The present invention is a fitting system with a graphical interface with specific interface screens for specific functions. Methods and devices for fitting a visual prosthesis are described. In one of the methods, threshold levels and maximum levels for the electrodes of the prosthesis are determined and a map of brightness to electrode stimulation levels is later formed. A fitting system for a visual prosthesis is also discussed, together with a computer-operated system having a graphical user interface showing visual prosthesis diagnostic screens and visual prosthesis configuration screens.

Visual prosthesis fitting

Systems and methods for detecting and displaying obstacles to visually impaired persons are disclosed. Images from a captured scene are analyzed to detect obstacles. A V-Disparity algorithm is employed to detect the ground plane and remove it from the images, thereby enhancing the capacity of retinal implants to display only obstacles. The system includes cameras to capture images; a processor with memory to detect obstacles in the captured images, to remove a ground plane, and to calculate a map of pixels representing the obstacles; and a retinal implant configured to receive the map of pixels and display the obstacles to a system user by electrically stimulating retinal nerves. The method includes synchronizing captured images and calculating a disparity map between the captured images to detect obstacles and remove a ground plane from processed images. A map of pixels representing the obstacle is transmitted to a retinal implant. Depth information may derive from stereo cameras, a time of flight camera or a structured light camera.

Methods and systems for detecting obstacles for a visual prosthesis

In electrically stimulating neural tissue it is important to prevent over stimulation and unbalanced stimulation which would cause damage to the neural tissue, the electrode, or both. It is critical that neural tissue is not subjected to any direct current or alternating current above a safe threshold. Further, it is important to identify defective electrodes as continued use may result in neural damage and further electrode damage. The present invention presents system and stimulator control mechanisms to prevent damage to neural tissue.

The present invention is a method of processing a video image in an electronic video processor including the steps of receiving an input image having an input field of view, generating a processed image from the input image, and having an output field of view smaller than the input field of view, searching for a predetermined pattern within the input image, providing an indication when the predetermined pattern is found in the input image, and zooming the processed image to the input field of view and highlighting the predetermined pattern in the processed image in response to the indication.

A visual prosthesis apparatus and a method for limiting power consumption in a visual prosthesis apparatus. The visual prosthesis apparatus comprises a camera for capturing a video image, a video processing unit associated with the camera, the video processing unit configured to convert the video image to stimulation patterns, and a retinal stimulation system configured to stop stimulating neural tissue in a subject's eye based on the stimulation patterns when an error is detected in a forward telemetry received from the video processing unit.

Visual prosthesis

The present invention is a method for measuring stable and reproducible electrode-tissue impedance, comprising preconditioning an electrode-tissue interface. Further aspect of the invention is a stimulation system for a visual prosthesis generating a stimulation signal to precondition the electrode-tissue interface, comprising a computer; software, loaded in the computer, adapted to perform a stimulating method for a visual prosthesis having a plurality of electrodes; a video processing unit; and an implanted neuron-stimulator.

Method for measuring stable and reproducible electrode-tissue impedance

Digital image filters and related methods for image contrast enhancement are disclosed. According to one aspect of the method, an invariant brightness level is initially determined. For each pixel of an input image, the invariant brightness level is subtracted from the input brightness of the pixel. The resulting value is multiplied with a contrast adjustment constant. After that, the invariant brightness level is added. Further aspects of the method can involve histogram equalization.

Digital image filters and related methods for image contrast enhancement

Growing community of inventors

Valencia, CA, United States of America

Arup Roy