A flexible high-precision photoacoustic retinal prosthesis.

ABSTRACT: Retinal degenerative diseases of photoreceptors are a leading cause of blindness with no effective treatment. Retinal prostheses aim to restore sight by stimulating remaining retinal cells. Here, we present a photoacoustic retinal stimulation technology. We designed a polydimethylsiloxane and carbon-based flexible film that converts near-infrared laser pulses into a localized acoustic field with 56-μm lateral resolution, aiming at high-precision acoustic stimulation of mechanosensitive retinal cells. This photoacoustic stimulation resulted in robust and localized modulation of retinal ganglion cell activity in both wild-type and degenerated ex vivo retinae. When a millimeter-sized photoacoustic film was implanted in the rat subretinal space, pulsed laser stimulation generated neural

SUBMITTER: Leong A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11398364 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature