Attempt to restore sight by direct brain stimulation

French research lab Leti will participate in a US project to restore vision by stimulating the visual cortex, funded by a DARPA (US Defence advanced research projects agency) programme called ‘Neural engineering system design programme’ (NESD).

Leti and Leti’s biomedical research centre Clinatec, will focus on a sub-set of the programme called CorticalSight, which is developing a wireless, implantable system that stimulates ‘optogenetically modified’ neurons in the visual cortex using light. Leti will design the implant, as well as creating hermetic packaging and radio frequency links for it.

Another part of CorticalSight is a camera-based, high-definition artificial retina worn over the eyes.

Other organisations in CorticalSight, which is one of six projects in DARPA’s NESD programme, are: the Paris Vision Institute of Fondation Voir et Entendre, French companies Chronocam and Gensight, Stanford University, Inscopix and the Friedrich Miescher Institute of Switzerland.