Investigating the Biomechanics to Mimic Blinking using an Electromagnetic Actuator

The Bionic Lid Implant for Natural Closure (BLINC) is an active implantable medical device aimed at restoring blinking for people with facial nerve paralysis (FNP), with the aim to restore complete, symmetrical, function. BLINC utilizes electromagnetic force to actuate a sling implanted in the upper eyelid. The horizontal pull translates to the downward movement of the eyelid to mimic a blink. Current work aims to move this project from laboratory to clinic, by gaining a better understanding of the biomechanics required to achieve these goals in humans. This follows a chronic large animal study, demonstrating proof-of-concept.The device was implanted within the temporal fossa of a human cadaver (N=1), to investigate the forces required to achieve closure, as well as the optimal pathway for the sling to move from the implant location to the upper eyelid.An unobstructed pathway, facilitated by the removal of a section of the lateral orbital wall, produced best closure. Closure of 53.5 ± 8 % - greater than the current state-of-the-art technology - was achieved using a horizontal force of 800mN.These results aid in the progress towards a clinical implant to restore blinking in people with FNP. Further work is required to find the parameters to closely mimic natural eye closure.