The application of nanotechnology to the retina

University Of Houston, Houston TX

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Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The candidate proposes a five year mentored clinical scientist research and training plan focused on the[unreadable] application of nanotechnology to the treatment of retinal disease. Dr. Foster is an Ophthalmologist with[unreadable] clinical training in Vitreoretinal surgery as well as a PhD in Physics. His long-term career goal is to combine[unreadable] his clinical interest in retinal diseases with his research interest in bionanotechnology, developing a funded[unreadable] research program investigating the interaction of novel materials with the retina. The research and clinical[unreadable] environment that has been established to achieve this goal is ideally suited to develop the candidate into an[unreadable] independently funded physician-scientist. The candidate has selected Alex Ignatiev, PhD and Charles A[unreadable] Garcia, MD as his mentors. Prof. Ignatiev is a condensed-matter physicist who is internationally known for[unreadable] his work on the growth and application of thin films of ceramics, high-temperature superconductors, and[unreadable] other novel materials. Prof. Garcia is a prominent vitreoretinal surgeon with over 150 publications examining[unreadable] both the basic and clinical science of retinal diseases. The candidate proposes a series of experiments[unreadable] related to the goal of developing a photoreceptor prosthesis for patients with retinal degenerations such as[unreadable] retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. There has been a great deal of interest recently in the[unreadable] development of retinal prostheses. Although considerable effort has gone into the development of these[unreadable] devices, the focus has been primarily on engineering considerations, rather than upon obtaining a basic[unreadable] understanding of how these systems interact with neurons. Most of the existing systems rely upon silicon-[unreadable] based detectors and the injection of current into neurons,with resulting ohmic heating and damage. The[unreadable] proposed device relies upon novel materials to achieve capacitive and electric field coupling to retinal[unreadable] neurons. The candidate's hypothesis is that using this technology to develop the proposed prosthesis will[unreadable] overcome the significant limitation of thermal damage, and lead to an improved system. The eventual goal[unreadable] of this research is to test this novel device as a functional retinal prosthesis. The specific aims of this[unreadable] research proposal are: (1) To develop photoferroelectric devices capable of activating specific neurons. (2)[unreadable] To determine an optimal configuration and size for an array of such devices. (3) To conduct in-vitro[unreadable] evaluation of the resulting devices.