Wireless brain prosthesis to create artificial vision for people who are blind
Official title: ICVP - A Phase I Clinical Trial to Determine the Feasibility of a Human Cortical Visual Prosthesis for People With Blindness
Run by Illinois Institute of Technology · NCT04634383 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests a wireless visual prosthesis implanted in the visual cortex to see if it can produce perceivable artificial vision in adults who are blind.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 19 Years to 70 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 5 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Illinois Institute of Technology Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 20, 2020 |
| Main results expected | June 30, 2027 |
| Study ends | June 30, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | June 3, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT04634383 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults with complete or near-complete blindness who had normal or near-normal vision early in life and meet the study’s specific inclusion criteria.
✕Probably not a fit
Individuals without the ability to perceive visual percepts from cortical stimulation or those who do not meet the safety and logistic criteria may not benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Five participants with severe vision loss will receive wireless microelectrode arrays implanted in the visual cortex. After recovery, they will undergo weekly testing over a period of one to three years to see if electrical stimulation can produce visual percepts and how these might translate into usable artificial vision. The study focuses on safety and feasibility, using wireless stimulation to evoke responses in the brain’s vision-processing area. Participants will be monitored for adverse events and changes in vision-related experiences during the testing period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could provide a new way to convey visual information to people who are blind.
How similar studies have gone: Prior similar approaches have shown feasibility in eliciting visual percepts in some participants, but this remains an early feasibility study with ongoing uncertainty.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * No light perception or bare light perception, in each eye in accordance with relevant International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes, where the physician has no expectation of improvement through currently approved treatments. * History of normal or near-normal vision, with or without refractive correction, during at least the first 10 years of life. * Adjusted to blindness for at least one year. * History of vision or blindness rehabilitation. * Willing and able to meet the time demands of the study with transportation assistance. * Willing to agree to audio and video recording, as specified in the pre-screening consent. * Motivated by altruism, willingness to participate in pioneering science. * Demonstrated support from spouse, family and/or friends. * High or average cognitive and spatial functioning. * Normal structural MRI. * English as preferred language. * Normal decision-making capacity. Exclusion Criteria: * Poor adjustment to blindness, or vision loss within the last year. * Expectation of vision restoration to pre-blindness level through trial participation. * History of alcohol or drug dependence. * Evidence of prior immune response to an orthopedic implant which caused the implant to be explanted * A disease prognosis of living less than five years. * An implant which would prevent screening using MRI, or a pacemaker, or similar implant. * A history of seizures. * Current suicidal ideation. * Poor decision-making capacity. * Current diagnosis or history of severe mental illness. * Women who are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant in the duration of the trial. * Hand Motion (HM) vision or better vision, * No Light Perception (NLP) or Light Perception (LP) vision with present OptoKinetic Nystagmus (OKN) * NLP vision with pupil constriction * Patients with Islands of perceivable vision in Goldmann Visual Field or Confrontational visual Field will also be excluded from the study. * Patients with Complete media opacity (complete cornea opacity, very dense cataract) that does not allow visualization of the posterior segment to determine the cause of blindness will be excluded from the study. Only patients with NLP and LP vision without OKN will be included in the study. * Patients with NLP or LP vision since birth will also be excluded from the study, as they may not have fully developed higher visual pathways, including cortical connections
Where it's running
-
Illinois Tech
Chicago, Illinois, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Philip R Troyk, PhD — Illinois Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Recruitment Director
- Email: ICVP@illinoistech.edu
- Phone: 312-567-5304
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
How optic nerve swelling changes after starting steroids in giant cell arteritis
This study tests how quickly the optic nerve sheath swelling decreases after starting glucocorticoids in people with newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis.
-
Auto-aligning handheld OCT for adult and pediatric retinal imaging
We will test a new handheld OCT device that automatically aligns to capture retinal images in healthy adults, adult eye patients, and children.
-
Comparing two OCT imaging systems for pediatric retina evaluation
This study is testing two different eye imaging systems to see which one works better for looking at the retinas of children.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.