AI-Driven Implant Implant brings the idea of ”two-way” matching closer to reality
Summary: Scientists have created an advanced visual neuroprosthesis that communicates via BIDirectire with the brain, marking one of the biggest steps towards restoring functional vision. Unlike previous devices, this closed-loop input adapts in real time to the neural activity, allowing the system and the brain to “learn” from each other.
For two blind mice, the installation enabled the recognition of shapes, movements, patterns, and letters – indicating strong, accessible visual perceptions. Although it is still in development, this work offers real hope of restoring functional vision to people who have lost their vision due to damage to the retina or optic nerve.
Basic facts
- Loop-Loop Continuity: The implant both evokes and records neural activity, interacting with stimulus patterns like the natural visual system.
- Practical Idea: The participants identified shapes, movements, patterns, and letters, showing a great progress beyond the simple illumination of light.
- Installation accuracy: A microelectrode microelectrode array is installed using robotic guidance with an opening of 8-10 mm, to reduce the impact of surgery.
Source: Ed
Blindness greatly affects people's lives.
Around the world, several laboratories, including the lab of Biguel Hernández University of Elche (umh), are developing virtual prostheses based on brain impulses.
These devices can eventually help restore functional vision to people who have lost their vision.
Internally published research Science is advancing Reports Results obtained at UMH with a new generation of neuroprostheses capable of two-way communication with the brain.
This powerful combination establishes a direct dialogue with the visual cortex, bringing the artificial vision closer to the natural visual process. The program has shown promising results in two blind volunteers.
“The cortical vision system that has been developed seeks to imitate how natural vision works,” explains Professor of Nature and study leader Eduardo Fernández Jevel.
“It uses a small external camera built into regular-looking glasses to replace the retina. The information captured by the camera is electronically processed and converted into patterns of electrical stimulation that are sent to the part of the brain responsible for visual processing –
“But vision is not just an input process; it's a constant exchange of information between the eyes and the brain,” he continues.
“That's why implant systems should also provide this feedback loop to better shape how the virtual system actually works.”
In any case, the goal should not be to “see again,” but to regain functional vision – enough to support basic activities such as navigation, walking, and reading large letters or numbers.
Until now, all visual neuroprostheses have been available open-loop The programs, in other words, did not look at how neurons respond to electrical stimulation.
“When the device stimulates the brain, the neurons adapt, learn, and respond,” said Fernández Jover.
“The neurons we stimulate can be more sensitive or more tired. Even the brain we send today may not be the one the brain expects tomorrow – because the brain itself has changed.”
“This study shows that we can achieve true two-way communication with intelligence,” said the UMH Professor.
“While creating electrical impulses that trigger visual sensations, we can record the activity of the brain and adjust the stimulation patterns according to the responses of the Neurons – as it happens under natural conditions.
“This closed-loop approach involves adapting to the brain's conditions and turns what was once a monologue into a dynamic conversation between technology and the brain, bringing us closer to a natural vision.”
The research, carried out in collaboration with the Imed Elche hospital, was involved in the realization of a small device, with millimeter-winders containing 100 microelectrodes. The team used a surgical robot and an advanced neuronavigation system to perform the procedure safely and efficiently.
“This technology allows us to indicate the placement of the electrode in real time with great precision,” explains Pablo González López, Neurosurgeon at Doctory Doctor Balmis and simulated hospitals.
“All insertions are made through an opening 8-10 meters wide, avoiding the need for a full craniotomy. As a result, participants can be discharged early.”
Back in 2021, the UMH biomedical neuroengineering lab successfully implanted a device in the brain of a blind volunteer, safely recommending the vision of shapes and letters with unprecedented resolution. Now, the team has taken a big step forward: Developing a technology that bridges the gap between light exposure and seeing the world.
This program is not only a couple In the brain – by delivering electrical patterns that produce visual sensations – but also learn neuronal responses and adapt to them in real time. Fernández Jover says: “This technology can safely and robustly extract physical concepts,” says Fernández Jover. “The new system learns from the brain, and the brain learns from the system.”
Thanks to this bidirectional exchange, the included participants were able to see clay patterns, movements, shapes, and other characters.
“By analyzing the neural activity,” Fernández jorver adds, “Now we can predict that a certain electrical stimulation will produce a visual perception – and measure its brightness and its number and its number and the number of each individual and the number of each individual.”
This enables the system to automate promotion parameters, improve synchronization and speed up the user learning curve.
These findings represent an encouraging step in the development of a neuroprosthesis that can help blind or visually impaired people improve their mobility and, ultimately, see and navigate their surroundings.
However, Fernández Jever emphasizes that “although the results are very promising, many challenges remain. It is important to develop carefully and avoid creating false expectations -This is still a false research.”
Currently, artificial intelligence remains at a speculative stage and is not yet available to the general public. The ultimate goal is to restore sight to people who have regained sight but have lost it due to retinal retain diseases or damage to the optic nerve without available treatment options.
In these cases, the brain retains its ability to process visual information, allowing the implant to send electrical signals to areas that can still interpret light and shapes.
“On the contrary, people who are born blind, the visual cortex has never fully developed the ability to see,” said researcher Mh.
“These regions are being reprogrammed for other functions such as language or spatial awareness through hearing and touch. Therefore, at the moment, it is impossible to do what is not visible and there is no reference.”
This scientific work was carried out by Fabrizio Grani, Alfonso Rodil Doobsez, Rocío López, and Rocío Fernández Jever from the Pablo Goengineering Institute, and Pablo González López, Neurosurgeon at the Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis in Alicante.
The investigators express their gratitude to the happy participants and their families for their dedication during the many months of effort. They are also grateful to the medical staff at Elche Hospital and Elche Support Hospital for their medical assistance, which made this study possible.
Funding: This work received funding from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (DTS19 / 00175, PDC202-133952-100); The European Union 2020 Program (Agreements No. 899287 High profile And no. 861423 Enter an opinion; Social neuroscience (major)); Dutch Neurotechnology Consortium; and the Regional Government of Valencia (Prometeo Ciprom / 2023/25).
Important Questions Answered:
A: They created a protected neuroprosthesis of a closed loop that both stimulates the visual cortex and reads the neural responses in real time, creating a dialogue of the limits with the brain.
A: Previous systems were 'open,' sending signals to the brain without synchronizing with how the neurons responded. The new system adapts to stimulation based on the brain's response – much closer to natural perception.
A: Blind volunteers were able to see shapes, movements, patterns, and even certain letters, showing visual perception far beyond that of previous tumors.
About this research news of neuroscience and visual neuroscience
Author: Angeles Galler
Source: Ed
Contact: Angeles Gallar – Ed
Image: This photo is posted in Neuroscience News
Actual research: Open access.
“Neural correlates of Phosphene vision in blind people: A step towards BIDIRECAL CORRECTION GRAVE PRORTHESIS” by Eduardo Fernández Jever et al. Science is advancing
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Neural correlates of phosphene vision in blind people: A step toward a visual cortical prosthesis
Blindness is one of the disabilities that has the greatest impact on people's lives. Cortical prostheses may restore the working day in some blind subjects, but their success will depend on combining advanced technologies to realize the therapeutic benefits they promise.
Most of the previous studies in humans used only electrodes, which made it challenging to precisely control the appearance of individual phosphenes. Here, we implanted a microelectrode array of 100 electrodes into the visual cortex of two volunteers.
We recorded neural activity around the electrodes while performing electrical stimulation to induce visual perception.
Besides showing that the stimulus parameters influence the visual thresholds, taken as brightness, and the minimum time required to distinguish different stimuli, our results show that the visual experience can be accurately predicted from the recorded neural activity.
These results highlight the potential of using the neural activity of neighboring electrodes to accurately provide and control visual input to cortical visual prostheses.
