This event is organized and hosted by the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.
James Weiland
Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
University of Michigan
Lunch served at 12:30 p.m. on a first come first serve basis while supplies last
Can't attend in person? Virtual Link: https://zoom.us/j/98207032204?pwd=OEJYZUtRVzBzdnU5K1ArV2dJUExkQT09
Meeting ID: 982 0703 2204 | Password: 516014
Dial by your location +1 470 250 9358 US (Atlanta)
Abstract: Bioelectronic Retinal Protheses
In a span of three decades, retinal prostheses have gone from an exciting and promising approach to treating blindness, then to experimental medical devices produced by start-up companies, then to these devices obtaining regulatory approval for human use, and more recently to closing of these companies due to lack of adoption by potential patients. Why were retinal prostheses not widely adopted, and what should be done to advance bioelectronic retinal prostheses? This seminar will review the history of retinal prostheses for the blind. Clinical research showed that individuals who have at best light perception vision can use spatial information from retinal prostheses to detect motion, locate objects, and read letters. Improvements in navigation and mobility have been noted. However, the vision provided by retinal prostheses was rudimentary, in part due to the geometry of the electrode array used to interface with the retina. My lab has been developing technology to improve the retinal electrode array. We have used carbon fiber electrodes to penetrate into the retina and activate retinal cells with low stimulation current and at high resolution. We have created a wide-field array using a multi-material approach that can be folded for insertion in the eye, then expanded to cover over 100 degrees of visual angle. Combined, the two technical approaches can provide high resolution central vision and wide-field peripheral vision. These capabilities directly address limitations of prior retinal prosthetic systems.
About the speaker: James Weiland received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1988. After 4 years in industry with Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engines, he returned to Michigan for graduate school, earning degrees in Biomedical Engineering (M.S. 1993, Ph.D. 1997) and Electrical Engineering (M.S. 1995). He joined the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute at Johns Hopkins University in 1997 as a postdoctoral fellow and, in 1999, was appointed an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Weiland was appointed assistant professor at the Doheny Eye Institute-University of Southern California in 2001 and was promoted to Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering in 2013. In 2017, Dr. Weiland was appointed as Professor of Biomedical Engineering (Medical School) and Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of Michigan. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and a Fellow of the IEEE. Dr. Weiland’s research interests include retinal prostheses, neural prostheses, electrode technology, visual evoked responses, implantable electrical systems, and wearable visual aids for the blind.