Abstract
For many blind individuals, one promising approach for restoring vision is direct electrical stimulation of visual cortex, using either surface or penetrating electrodes. One visual cortical implant based on surface electrodes (Orion, Second Sight Medical Implants) has already received conditional FDA approval, with others are scheduled to start clinical trials within a few years. However, as yet we have little insight into the perceptual experience likely to be produced by these implants – what will the world look like to patients? Here we describe a simple model that demonstrates how interactions between the implant electronics and the underlying neurophysiology are likely to influence perceptual outcomes in visual cortical prosthesis patients.