A visual prosthetic is a form of neural prostheses intended to restore lost vision or amplify existing vision. Scientific research since at least the 1950s has investigated interfacing electronics at the level of the retina, optic nerve, thalamus, and cortex. Notable current researchers include Claude Veraart (optic nerve), Richard Normann (cortex), the brothers Alan and Vincent Chow (retina), and a California-based company named Second Sight.
An Implantable Miniature Telescope is one type of visual prosthetic that has met with some success in the treatment of end-stage age-related macular degeneration. This type of device is implanted in the eye's posterior chamber and works by increasing (by about three times) the size of the image projected onto the retina in order to overcome a centrally-located scotoma or blind spot.
