Kim Schaffrath

University Hospital RWTH Aachen · Department of Ophthalmology

The BioAdhere study: biocompatible, tailor-made bioadhesive peptides (peptesives) fixating macroscopic objects on the retinal surface.

Glaucoma is a heterogeneous eye disease causing atrophy of the optic nerve head (ONH). The optic nerve is formed by the axons of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that transmit visual input to the brain. The progressive RGC loss during glaucoma leads to irreversible vision loss. An elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is described as main risk facto...

Background: Retinal degenerative diseases, e.g., retinitis pigmentosa, cause a severe decline of the visual function up to blindness. Treatment still remains difficult; however, implantation of retinal prostheses can help restoring vision. In this study, the biocompatibility and surgical feasibility of a newly developed epiretinal stimulator (OPTO...

Several eye diseases, for example, retinal artery occlusion, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma, are associated with retinal hypoxia. The lack of oxygen in the retina, especially in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), causes cell damage up to cell degeneration and leads to blindness. Using multielectrode array recordings, an ex vivo hypoxia acute model...

Purpose: In RP, photoreceptors degenerate. Retinal prostheses are considered a suitable strategy to restore vision. In animal models of RP, a pathologic rhythmic activity seems to compromise the efficiency of retinal ganglion cell stimulation by an electrical prosthesis. We, therefore, strove to eliminate this pathologic activity. Methods: Elect...

GABAergic interneurons in different cortical areas play important roles in diverse higher-order cognitive functions. The heterogeneity of interneurons is well characterized in different sensory cortices, in particular in primary somatosensory and visual cortex. However, the structural and functional properties of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)...

GABAergic interneurons in different cortical areas play important roles in diverse higher order cognitive functions. The heterogeneity of interneurons is well characterized in different sensory cortices, in particular in primary somatosensory and visual cortex. However, the structural and functional properties of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)...

Background: The restoration of vision in blind patients suffering from degenerative retinal diseases like retinitis pigmentosa (RP) may be obtained by local electrical stimulation with retinal implants. In this study, a very large electrode array for retinal stimulation (VLARS) was introduced and tested regarding its safety in implantation and bio...

Importance The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System is indicated for patients with vision loss due to severe to profound outer retinal degeneration, a group with few treatment options. Objectives To collect postapproval safety and visual function data for the Argus II. Design, Setting, and Participants Multicenter, postapproval clinical trial condu...