September 2016
Volume 57, Issue 12
Open Access
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   September 2016
Retinal safety of near infrared radiation in photovoltaic restoration of sight
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Henri Lorach
    Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
    HEPL, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
  • Jenny Wang
    Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
    HEPL, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
  • Dae Yeong Lee
    Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
    Ophthalmology, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea (the Republic of)
  • Roopa Dalal
    Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
  • Philip Huie
    Ophthalmology, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea (the Republic of)
  • Daniel V Palanker
    Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
    HEPL, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Henri Lorach, Pixium Vision (C); Jenny Wang, None; Dae Yeong Lee, None; Roopa Dalal, None; Philip Huie, None; Daniel Palanker, Pixium Vision (C)
  • Footnotes
    Support  NIH Grant R01‐EY-018608, Department of Defense Grant W81XWH‐15‐1‐0009, Pixium Vision Grant 1170660-200-UDERL
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science September 2016, Vol.57, 3726. doi:
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    • Get Citation

      Henri Lorach, Jenny Wang, Dae Yeong Lee, Roopa Dalal, Philip Huie, Daniel V Palanker; Retinal safety of near infrared radiation in photovoltaic restoration of sight. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2016;57(12):3726.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose : Photovoltaic restoration of sight requires intense near infrared (NIR) light to effectively stimulate retinal neurons. We assess the retinal safety of such irradiation in the rabbit eye with and without the presence of a retinal implant.

Methods : Retinal damage threshold was determined in pigmented rabbits exposed to 880nm laser radiation. A computational model of the rabbit eye was used to assess the temperature increase with and without the subretinal silicon implant. The model was validated by comparison of the computed temperature with (a) previously published experimental data in pigmented rabbits and (b) with the damage thresholds in intact and in implanted rabbits.

Results : In pigmented rabbits, the 50% probability (ED50) of retinal damage during 100s long exposures with 1.2mm diameter beam occurred at 175mW. According to computational model of the rabbit eye, it corresponded to the temperature rise of 12.5°C, matching the published data. In presence of an implant, the same temperature rise was expected at 78mW of power. In implanted animals, no visible damage was observed up to 60mW, and ED50 corresponded to 71mW. In the normal use conditions of the photovoltaic subretinal prosthesis (5mW/mm2, 5ms, 40Hz), the retinal temperature rise is not expected to exceed 0.43°C.

Conclusions : The NIR light intensity required for activation of the photovoltaic retinal prosthesis is well within the safety limits for chronic use (< 1°C).

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.

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