Fabrication and In vivo Evaluation of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Stimulus Electrodes for Fully Implantable Retinal Prosthesis

The development of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) stimulus electrodes and the relationship between the electrical stimulation of a rabbit retina and electrically evoked potential (EEP) were studied in detail. We fabricated implantable flexible cables with Pt, IrOx, and PEDOT electrodes and evaluated the electrochemical impedances (EIs) and charge injection capacities (CICs) of such electrodes. From the result, we confirmed that PEDOT electrodes have both lower EIs and larger CICs than Pt and IrOx electrodes. In addition, we performed in vivo experiments with PEDOT electrodes and clarified the relationships between the electrical stimulation of the rabbit retina and EEP. It is highly probable that visual restoration will be realized safely with PEDOT electrodes.