Fabrication of Prototype of Artificial Retina Adapted to a Curved Image Plane Based on Arrayed PMMA Microfibers

The traditional visual prosthesis combines both a camera and an electrode array implanted on the visual neural networks. Here, we introduce a new design of artificial retina which integrate the transmission of image and the electrical stimulation of cortical neurons on a single PMMA micro fiber. It is comprised of multiple PMMA microfibers with both ends connected with one flexible and one rigid substrates. The flexible one is a PDMS mold of microrods and ready to conform to a curved image plane. The rigid one is in the form of a silica plate coated with a PMMA thin film and could be attached to a CMOS image sensor for the evaluation of its optical performance. The multiple PMMA microfibers were directly drawn from liquid PMMA thin film with PDMS rods. With arrayed PMMA microfibers, the image planes could be transferred from the flexible to rigid substrate. Each PMMA microfiber delivers a part of the image the PDMS mold transmits. Incorporated with O/E convertors, each micro fiber could function as an unit of electrical stimulation in accordance with part of the image the artificial retina delivered and is ready to function as a cortical neural prosthesis in the future application.