Evaluation of Methods to Asses Visual Prosthesis Systems Using Sighted Volunteers and Visual Reality Simulator

A basic requirement for every therapeutic procedure is that there be an objective and validated method to assess the benefit of the treatment for the patient. Currently, there is no acceptable procedure to quantify the benefit obtained from visual prostheses. The goal of the proposed research is to evaluate visual tasks and tests that will be given to a very large number of volunteers with normal vision who will be using a novel virtual prosthesis simulator. This device will simulate the realistic visual information that a visual implant can provide and will be used to measure implants in current clinical trials.