164 results about "Retinal cell" patented technology

In one aspect, the invention provides vision prosthesis systems. Exemplary vision prosthesis systems of the invention comprise a light energy generator operably connected to a wearable head piece comprising a device for directing light energy produced by the light energy generator onto a mammalian retina, wherein the light energy generator is tuned to emit light energy of sufficient power to modulate neural activity in the retina. In another aspect, the invention provides methods for irradiating neurons in the retina of the mammalian eye by directing light energy produced by a light energy generator onto a mammalian retina. The methods of the invention may be used to directly modulate the activity of retinal neurons or to introduce molecules into retinal cells.

The objective of the current invention is to restore color vision, in whole or in part, by electrically stimulating undamaged retinal cells, which remain in patients with, lost or degraded visual function. The invention is a retinal color prosthesis. Functionally, There are three main parts to this invention. One is external to the eye. The second part is internal to the eye. The third part is means for communication between those two parts. The external part has subsystems. These include an external imaging means, an eye-tracker, a head-motion tracker, a data processor, a patient's controller, a physician's local controller, a physician's remote controller, and a telemetry means. The imaging means may include a CCD or CMOS video camera. It gathers an image of what the eyes would be seeing if they were functional.Color information is acquired by the imaging means. The color data is processed in the video data processing unit. The color information is encoded by time sequences of pulses separated by varying amounts of time, and also with the pulse duration being varied in time. The basis for the color encoding is the individual color code reference. Direct color stimulation is another operational basis for providing color perception. The electrodes stimulate the target cells so as to create a color image for the patient, corresponding to the original image as seen by the video camera, or other imaging means.The physician's test unit can be used to set up or evaluate and test the implant during or soon after implantation at the patient's bedside.

Methods and systems for the delivery of polynucleotides to the subretinal space of the macula or fovea of an eye of a human are provided. The methods and systems are useful for treating ocular disorders.

The present disclosure provides adeno-associated virus (AAV) virions with altered capsid protein, where the AAV virions exhibit greater infectivity of retinal cells compared to wild-type AAV. The present disclosure further provides methods of delivering a gene product to a retinal cell in an individual, and methods of treating ocular disease.

Disclosed is a system for maintaining normal health of photoreceptor cells and promoting regeneration of photoreceptor cells, and methods thereof. The system comprises: an implant capable of being implanted in a region in proximity to retina of an eye; and an electrical stimulation unit disposed in a region around the eye. The electrical stimulation unit induces an electrical current in the implant for electrical stimulation of the retina of the eye, thereby maintaining normal health of photoreceptor cells and promoting regeneration of photoreceptor cells in the retina.

Disclosed is a system and method for treatment of cells and, in particular, visual pathway disorders. More particularly, the disclosed invention is directed toward the photomodulation and / or photorejuvenation of retinal epithelial cells, to treat a variety of vision disorders. The process of treating retinal cells to reduce or reverse the effects of visual pathway disorders employs a narrowband source of multichromatic light applied to the retinal cells to deliver a very low energy fluence.

An implantation device having a reservoir for holding a solid or semisolid implant and a carrier fluid, wherein the reservoir includes a cannula. The cannula has a tip end and a delivery opening therein both shaped and dimensioned to suit the application. For example, an implant (such as a retinal cell graft) and suitable carrier fluid (such as an aqueous hyaluronic acid solution) can be expressed from the opening into the subretinal space of a recipient eye, provided the cannula is of sufficient length that the tip end can reach the subretinal space while the remainder of the fluid reservoir is external of the eye. Expression of the carrier fluid from the reservoir via the delivery opening expels the implant through the delivery opening. An electromechanically driven plunger apparatus with operator controls is provided in a preferred embodiment.

An ophthalmic treatment method for inhibiting death of retinal constitutive cells of an eye by stimulating the cells includes a first step of placing a positive electrode and a negative electrode in such positions outside the eye that the electrodes provide electrical stimulation to the cells, at least one of the electrodes being placed on one of a cornea and sclera of the eye; and a second step of generating an electrical stimulation pulse having an electric current set at 20 μA or more but not exceeding 300 μA from each placed electrode.

A method is disclosed including: receiving raw image data corresponding to a series of raw images; processing the raw image data with an encoder to generate encoded data, where the encoder is characterized by an input / output transformation that substantially mimics the input / output transformation of one or more retinal cells of a vertebrate retina; and applying a first machine vision algorithm to data generated based at least in part on the encoded data.

Disclosed is a composition for inducing the proliferation of retinal cells or the differentiation of retinal progenitor cells into retinal cells. The composition, similar to in vivo conditions for development during embryogenesis, induces stem cells to differentiate into a multitude of photoreceptor cells at high yield within a short period of time, without an additional gene transfer. In addition, the differentiated photoreceptor cells are useful in cellular therapy because they, when transplanted into degenerated or injured retinas, can be engrafted and fused within the retinas to prevent or cure retinal degeneration.

Methods and compositions useful for neuronal protection in retinal cells in vitro and the protection of mammalian cells from reactive oxygen species in vivo are provided. Ultrafine nano-size cerium oxide particles, less than 10 nanometers in diameter, have been provided to decrease reactive oxygen species (ROS) in retina tissue that generates large amounts of ROS. These reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in light-induced retina degeneration and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Cerium oxide nanoparticles have been used to promote the lifespan of retinal neurons and protect the neurons from apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide in vitro and in vivo. The neuronal protection in retinal cells is achieved by decreasing generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, cerium oxide particles are used to promote the longevity of retinal neurons in vitro and mammalian cells in vivo.

Surgical instruments, surgical techniques, retinal cell grafts, retinal cell and tissue isolation techniques, and a method for transplanting retinal cells, including photoreceptors, and / or retinal pigment epithelium, with the cells in the isolated tissue having their normal cell to cell configuration are disclosed.

The invention features retina-derived (retinal endothelial or retinal epithelial pigment) cell lines with extended life-span and capable of being implanted in the retina and of carrying a therapeutic substance to the eye and to the central nervous system. Such lines can also be used as a model for studying blood central nervous system interfaces. These lines are derived from primary retinal cultures selected from the group consisting of primary retinal endothelial cells and primary retinal epithelial cells, comprise a polynucleotide containing an oncogene, which polynucleotide is optionally associated with at least one selection gene, and have the morphological characteristics and at least the expression characteristics of the surface antigens of corresponding primary cultures.

The invention relates to imparting photoreactivity to target cells, e.g., retinal cells, by introducing photoresponsive functional abiotic nanosystems (FANs), nanometer-scale semiconductor / metal or semiconductor / semiconductor hetero-junctions that in this case include a photovoltaic effect. The invention further provides methods of making and using FANs, where the hetero-junctions bear surface functionalization that localizes them in cell membranes. Illumination of these hetero-junctions incorporated in cell membranes generates photovoltages that depolarize the membranes, such as those of nerve cells, in which FANs photogenerate action potentials. Incorporating FANs into the cells of a retina with damaged photoreceptor cells reintroduces photoresponsiveness to the retina, so that light creates action potentials that the brain interprets as sight.