Intracortical visual prosthesis: A new chapter in advancing visual restoration

The third implantation of the Intracortical Visual Prosthesis (ICVP) in a blind patient has been completed successfully, according to a press release issued by the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.

The device is described as “a wireless brain implant designed to provide artificial vision for people with total blindness by bypassing the eyes and optic nerves and connecting directly to the brain’s visual cortex.” The surgery was performed at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago.

The institute explained that the wireless brain implant connects directly with the visual cortex and bypasses the damaged retina and optic nerves completely in these patients in order to provide artificial vision. In the third patient, 34 stimulators with a total of 544 electrodes were implanted.

This type of design was driven by the fact that many patients who have no light perception vision do not have retinas or optic nerves that are intact, so bypassing them for the visual cortex “may be the only possible advanced visual sensory aid from which they can benefit,” according to the press release.

“The success of this third implantation of the ICVP represents an important step forward in offering a meaningful option for patients with profound vision loss,” said Sepehr Sani, MD, the surgeon who implanted the device.

Philip R. Troyk, BSEE, MS, PhD, led the team that developed the ICVP. He is executive director of the Pritzker Institute of Biomedical Science and Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he is professor of biomedical engineering.

“This project underscores the immense possibilities of neurotechnology—by translating decades of research into real-world applications, we are forging new pathways to enhance lives. The third successful implantation demonstrates the scalability and robustness of the ICVP system. We’re driven by the potential of this technology to restore autonomy and improve the quality of life for individuals living with blindness. This novel brain interface technology has potential applications for other neural conditions, including those in the spinal cord, and we are pursuing those as well,” Troyk stated.

Illinois Tech is collaborating with Rush University Medical Center, The Chicago Lighthouse, the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins, the University of Texas at Dallas, Microprobes for Life Science, Sigenics Inc., and the University of Chicago on the initiative, with Troyk serving as the principal investigator.

The intracortical implant

The device uses implanted miniaturized wireless stimulators to explore whether individuals who are not sighted can use the artificial vision that the implant provides.

The researchers explained that this prosthesis system allows devices to be permanently implanted, which gives them ample time to explore how the device can effectively work and the recipient to learn how the device can be useful.

During the preclinical phase, the researchers developed and refined the surgical procedure, which resulted in the third patient’s implantation. The clinical phase will test if the implant will provide patients with improved ability to navigate and perform basic, visually guided tasks, they explained.

Illinois Tech is actively seeking new participants for ongoing studies with the goal of broadening the understanding and capabilities of artificial vision. The press release noted that the project is calling for research volunteers who lost their vision as an adult but who had normal or near-normal vision for at least the first 10 years of life. Following surgery and approximately one month of surgical recovery, participants will be studied for 1 to 3 years, depending on the date of implantation.