Brain Machine Interface Prototype Development for Vision Restoration

Purpose

This solicitation, issued by MTEC, represents a Request for Project Proposals (RPP) for MTEC support of U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Research Program (CRMRP) technology objectives. Strategic oversight for the award(s) supported by this RPP will be provided by CRMRP.

Military relevance is a critical component of proposal submission. The CRMRP focuses on innovations to reconstruct, rehabilitate, and provide definitive care for injured Service members. The ultimate goal is to return the Service members to duty and restore their quality of life. Innovations developed from CRMRP-supported research efforts are expected to improve restorative treatments and rehabilitative care to maximize function for return to duty (RTD) or civilian life. The CRMRP interest is in medical technologies (drugs, biologics, and devices) and treatment/rehabilitation strategies (methods, guidelines, standards, and information) that will significantly improve the medical care provided to our wounded Service members within the Department of Defense (DoD) health care system. Implementation of these technologies and strategies should improve: the rate of RTD of Service members, the time to RTD, clinical outcome measures, quality of life, as well as reduce the hospital stay lengths, clinical workload (patient encounters, treatments, etc.), and initial and long-term costs associated with restorative and rehabilitative or acute care. The CRMRP focuses on the following research areas: neuromusculoskeletal injury (including amputees), sensory systems (including hearing, balance, tinnitus, and vision), acute and chronic pain, and regenerative medicine.

Scope of Work

The overarching goal of this program is to provide a prototype visual prosthesis for human testing within five years that (1) provides the ability to navigate for ambulation, identify faces and objects critical to daily life, and read large print, and (2) is economically feasible. Applications to MTEC should clearly state how the proposed research provides an innovative solution to a critical problem in the development of a brain machine interface prototype for vision restoration.

A critical step towards realization of the overarching goals is the development of an appropriate brain-machine interface. Applications must address the following focus area in vision restoration to be considered. Specifically, MTEC seeks the prototype development of a device that:

1. Stimulates visual pathways in either the a) the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) or b) primary visual cortex.
2. Provides appropriate punctate stimuli with either a) electrical stimulation or b) optical stimulation for photolysis of caged excitatory neurotransmitters, photoswitches, or optogenetics (an optical stimulation delivery device is being sought, NOT the development of caged neurotransmitters, photoswitches or optogenetic tools).
3. Provides density of stimulation for the equivalent of at least 20/40 in the central 2% of visual field.
4. Stimulates neurons normally responsive to the peripheral field providing the equivalent of at least 70% of horizontal visual field for each eye.
5. Proposal must address specific anatomical challenges associated with implantation and communicating with the stimulation device.
6. Proposal must address biocompatibility (i.e., the prosthesis should ideally function for the lifetime of the patient).
7. Components of the device must be demonstrated as a prototype in animal or appropriate in vitro models.

MTEC seeks applications from investigators comprising multi-disciplinary teams from a wide spectrum of disciplines including, but not limited to, basic science, engineering, translational research, and clinical research.

The current effort aims to promote highly innovative, groundbreaking research; high-impact research with near-term clinical relevance; multidisciplinary, synergistic research; and translational studies to support the fluid transfer of knowledge from basic principles to a working visual prosthesis prototype. Results of studies conducted through this effort should inform the developmental pathway for a visual prosthesis prototype.

Proposed projects must be based on logical reasoning and sound scientific rationale. Please note that awards are not to be exploratory in nature and require a foundation of preliminary data.

Research involving animal or human subjects is allowed, in accordance with the Proposal Preparation Guidelines (PPG). Although seven critical specifications of the visual prosthesis prototype are outlined in the above, we encourage you to submit even if you cannot currently meet all seven specifications. However, it is expected that an Offeror’s approach to the visual prosthesis prototype will one day satisfy all seven critical specifications.

Points of Contact

For inquiries, please direct your correspondence to Biomedical Research Associate Chuck Hutti, Ph.D. at Chuck.Hutti@ati.org.