Journal of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9570
ISSN: 2155-9570
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
Dr. Gonzalez-Calle focuses on applying engineering approaches and discoveries towards addressing retinal disorders with no immediate cures. Her multidisciplinary translational research includes using non-invasive controlled electrical stimulation to induce neuroprotective changes in the retina, which can help slow down the progression of retinal diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and glaucoma (POAG).
Research Article
Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Retinal Morphology as Seen with Optical Coherence Tomography
Author(s): Alejandra Gonzalez-Calle*, V. Swetha E. Jeganathan, Mark S Humayun and James D Weiland
Retinal prostheses provide blind patients with the ability to detect motion and locate large objects. Future implants will require
smaller electrodes to improve resolution, but increased charge density may result, creating a safety concern. We developed a
novel in vivo method to study the effects of electrical stimulation in the retina using real time Optical Coherence Tomography
(OCT) imaging combined with micropositioning a stimulating electrode. We observed that electrical stimulation settings with
both pulse rates at and greater than 100 Hz as well as charge density 1.22 mC/cm2 and above resulted in retinal thickening
within minutes of stimulation, that affected several retinal layers. We showed with statistical significance that the median
difference between the retinal thickness before and after stimulation was different from zero. In summar.. View More»
DOI:
10.35248/2155-9570.20.11.858