Retinal prosthesis: a comprehensive review

Retinal diseases continue to remain major contributors to the burden of global blindness. Interventions ranging from gene therapy to bioelectronics have been tried to reverse debilitating blindness associated with these diseases. Over the last seven decades, significant research has been done in the field of artificial vision and retinal prosthesis, and efforts have been made to develop advanced implants to improve the quality of life in patients with blindness. This review covers the history, evolution and the future of retinal prosthesis. The initial experiments to restore vision and the technological advances in the creation of these implants have been covered. The review discusses the potential of implants to improve the quality of life in blind patients. It also covers the prerequisites for implantation of retinal prosthesis, complications and their long-term results. There has been continuous improvement in the development of retinal prosthesis with the hope of being able to restore ambulatory vision and assistance in performing daily chores. Bio-engineering these implants is challenging and future course would explore developing less invasive approaches and improving the resolution. Translational success, widespread availability and improving access to these prostheses would reside in improved funding and support.