Efficacy of the hexpolar configuration in localizing the activation of retinal ganglion cells under electrical stimulation

Amgad G. Habib, Morven A. Cameron, Gregg J. Suaning, Nigel H. Lovell, John W. Morley

    Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperConference Paperpeer-review

    1 Citation (Scopus)

    Abstract

    ![CDATA[Retinal visual prostheses provide hope of restoring sight to patients suffering from retinal degeneration such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. Retinal prostheses are used to electrically stimulate residual neurons that are spared in these diseases, namely the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), eliciting percepts of light termed phosphenes. The elicitation of multiple phosphenes via an electrode array allows patterns to be produced, resulting in a rudimentary form of vision. For such patterns to be produced effectively, the prosthesis must generate well-defined phosphenes. To this end, the hexpolar configuration has been proposed as an alternative to the traditional monopolar or bipolar configurations. It utilizes six electrodes surrounding the stimulating electrode to serve as a combined return, or hex guard, purportedly localizing the activation to cells located within them. In this study, the efficacy of the hexpolar configuration in localizing activity was investigated by using patch-clamp electrophysiology to measure the activation thresholds of RGCs to electrical stimulation in isolated rabbit retina. Cells located outside the hex guard were found to have significantly higher relative hexpolar thresholds (>2 fold) as compared to cells located within the hex guard. This confirms the efficacy of the hexpolar configuration in localizing activity to within the hex guard. Furthermore, the effect of using cathodic-first versus anodic-first stimulation on hexpolar threshold and localization was investigated. No significant difference was observed between the two groups, in terms of lowering thresholds or improving localization.]]
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationProceedings of the 34th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC 2012): 28 Aug. 2012 - 1 Sep. 2012, San Diego, California
    PublisherIEEE
    Pages2776-2779
    Number of pages4
    ISBN (Print)9781424441198
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2012
    EventIEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference -
    Duration: 30 Apr 2015 → …

    Publication series

    Name
    ISSN (Print)1557-170X

    Conference

    ConferenceIEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference
    Period30/04/15 → …

    Keywords

    • electric stimulation
    • hexpolar configuration
    • prosthesis
    • retina
    • retinal ganglion cells

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Efficacy of the hexpolar configuration in localizing the activation of retinal ganglion cells under electrical stimulation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this