Visual prosthesis
A visual prosthesis apparatus and a method for limiting power consumption in a visual prosthesis apparatus. The visual prosthesis apparatus comprises a camera for capturing a video image, a video processing unit associated with the camera, the video processing unit configured to convert the video image to stimulation patterns, and a retinal stimulation system configured to stop stimulating neural tissue in a subject's eye based on the stimulation patterns when an error is detected in a forward telemetry received from the video processing unit.
1. A method of providing safe stimulation in a visual prosthesis, comprising:
providing a camera for capturing a video image;
providing a video processing unit associated with the camera;
providing a neural stimulation system suitable to be implanted within a body;
converting the video image to stimulation patterns in the video processing unit;
transmitting the stimulation patterns from the video processing unit to the neural stimulation system via a stimulation signal;
receiving the stimulation signal in the neural stimulation system and checking the stimulation signal for errors; and
stopping stimulation and returning a telemetry signal indicating an error from the neural stimulation system to the video processing unit upon an error in the stimulation signal.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sending a telemetry signal indicating no errors from the neural stimulation system to the video processing system if the neural stimulation system detects no errors.
3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising stopping sending the stimulation signal from the video processing unit to the neural stimulation system when the video processing system receives a telemetry signal indicating an error in the stimulation signal.
4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising stopping sending the stimulation signal from the video processing unit to the neural stimulation system when the video processing system does not receive a telemetry signal indicating no error in the stimulation signal.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the stimulation signal provides power for the neural stimulation system.
6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising sending a stimulation signal from the video processing unit to the neural stimulation system without stimulation patterns until a telemetry signal is sent from the neural stimulation system to the video processing unit that indicates no errors in the stimulation signal.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising periodically transmitting power to the neural stimulation system until the neural stimulation system transmits the telemetry signal.