Ultra-high photosensitivity silicon nanophotonics for retinal prosthesis: electrical characteristics

Retinal degenerative diseases such as age related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), lead to the loss of the photoreceptor cells rendering the retina incapable of detecting light. Several engineering approaches have aimed at replacing the function of the photoreceptors by detecting light via an external camera or photodiodes and electrically stimulating the remaining retinal tissue to restore vision. These devices rely heavily on off-device processing to solve the computational challenge of matching the performance of the PRs. In this work, we present a unique ultra-high sensitivity photodetector technology with light sensitivity, signal amplification, light adaptation that shows signal transduction performance approaching those of the rods and cones in the mammalian retina. In addition, the technology offers nanoscale control over photodetectors topography with the potential to reproduce the visual acuity of the natural retina. This technology promises to drastically reduce the foot print, power consumption and computational needs of the current retinal prothesis, while reproducing high resolution vision.