In this project we carry out electrical modeling of the nerve tissue and experimental verification of the simulation results.

In Germany, every year 17,000 people become blind, and about 4000 of those suffer from degenerative retinal diseases, which are called Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). From the different nerve layers in the retinal tissue, only the photoreceptors (rods and cones) of the retina perish.

To restore some visual perception, the bipolar cells have to be stimulated in such a way, that the ganglion cells start spiking. To model the electric fields in the bipolar cell layer, a specific model is designed.

To compare the simulation results obtained with the model with measurements, living animal retina is placed on a multi-electrode array and stimulated.

This work is done in close cooperation with the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen (Director Prof. Dr. H. Hämmerle).