Bioelectromagnetics for a Retinal Prosthesis to Restore Partial Vision to the Blind

The retinal prosthesis is aimed to restore partial vision to the blind affected by outer retinal degenerative diseases. Almost all research efforts rely on a dual-unit system, with components internal and external to the human body, including a video camera, an inductive wireless link for power and/or data transfer between the external and internal components, a processing microchip, and a stimulating electrode array. In this paper, we discuss modeling and computational methods to calculate the electromagnetic interaction of some of the system components with the head tissues. Specifically, we will focus on two aspects of the system: the safety considerations of an inductive link operating at the carrier frequency of 10 MHz and the current spread in the retina under different conditions.