Artificial Vision 2026 REGISTRATION
Friday, 11th - Saturday, 12th December, 2026
Aachen, Germany


INVITATION AND CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Deadline for the receipt of abstracts Monday, 16th September, 2026



RWTH


RWTH

Juelich

RWTH Aachen University,
Medical Faculty
www.artificial-vision.org



PrefaceBack to top

Dear Collegues and Friends,

it is my great honor to cordially invite you to the 2026 Artificial Vision Conference in Aachen, Germany. My colleagues from RWTH Aachen University, from the Research Center in Julich, and from the University Duisburg-Essen and I are looking forward to a very interesting event, bringing together researchers, scientists, and clinicians dedicated to restore vision in blind patients from many disciplines and many countries around the world.

The development, the fabrication, the marketing, and the survival of a functioning visual neuroprosthesis providing useful vision for a blind subject is still a challenge. It is absolutely amazing, that despite all the drawbacks and difficulties, many groups worldwide are still working very hard on smart solutions. In the last years significant progress has been made in understanding the difficulties of earlier implants and improving the concepts. New materials are evaluated and tested, concepts for the integration of a large number of electrodes emerged and were tested, bi-directional systems which can not only stimulate but also record from the target tissue to modulate stimulus paradigms have been designed and are under evaluation. In the same time our understanding of the biological processes underlying degeneration and how they affect electrical stimulation improved. The clinical trial of the PRIMA implant carried out in patients with age-related macular degeneration enlarged the field of indications for neuroprosthetic devices with a lot of chances for the whole field. Machine learning, artificial intelligence, and a further miniaturization of electronic hardware is already influencing the Artificial Vision concepts.

nterdisciplinarity is the basis of successful research and development in our field. The Artificial Vision conference is a truly interdisciplinary conference and it is also a chance for young researchers to connect to others in this community. What’s new in this year: A poster session will be held on Saturday morning, together with a strong coffee. Gislin Dagnelie will give a keynote lecture on Vision Restauration for the blind. The Artificial Vision meeting will be held simultaneously with the Aachen Cornea Conference. That will give us the opportunity to share resources. And, the conference will take place within the iconic hospital building of the University Clinic in Aachen. Be surprised!

I am very much looking forward seeing you in Aachen.

On behalf of the organizing committee,
Cordially yours,

Peter Walter

Dr. Peter Walter
Professor of Ophthalmology
RWTH Aachen University



Congress outlineBack to top

The goal of the International Symposium on Visual Prosthetics - Artificial Vision 2026 - is to provide a platform for researchers and clinicians to meet, to present, and to discuss the latest advances and achievements in the field of providing vision with electronic implants to the blind. The symposium will cover all aspects of Artificial Vision such as

  • mechanisms of degeneration in the visual system
  • principles of electrical stimulation in the visual system
  • interfaces to the visual system: electrodes
  • stimulation and recording devices: complex implants, systems, algorithms
  • preclinical tests: biocompatibility and proof of concept studies
  • clinical experiences: patient selection, surgery, and functional outcomes
  • patients expectations, rehabilitation aspects
  • new ideas and visions


Travel Grants for young researchersBack to top

We especially encourage young researchers to come to the Aachen Meeting and to present your own work and to discuss all aspects of visual prosthetics with colleagues from many different disciplines and countries. To make things easier we will provide travel grants of up to 2,000 EUR for young researchers. Although it is difficult or in other words impossible to define a threshold for being young, a poorly artificial definition and limit has to be set. We feel that usually researchers younger than 40 years of age need more financial support than the older ones. We may be wrong but somehow we need a definition.

To apply for a travel grant please send a CV and a motivation letter to:
pwalter@ukaachen.de



General InformationBack to top

Date

Friday, December 11th, 2026, 10:30 h - 18:30 h
Saturday, December 12th, 2026, 09:30 h - 16:00 h

Venue

University Hospital Aachen
RWTH Aachen University,

Pauwelsstr. 30
D-52074 Aachen, Germany

Online Registration

Registration

Online registration coming soon

Scientific programme
and further information

Prof. Dr. Peter Walter
Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Aachen
RWTH Aachen University, Medical Faculty
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 2 41 / 8 08-81 91, Fax: +49 (0) 2 41 / 8 08-24 08
E-Mail: pwalter@ukaachen.de

Organization

Congress-Organisation Gerling GmbH
Werftstraße 23, 40549 Düsseldorf, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 2 11 / 59 22 44
Fax: +49 (0) 2 11 / 59 35 60
E-Mail: info@congresse.de
Homepage: www.congresse.de

Official Language

English

Hotel Booking

See hotel on the online registration

Attendance Fee

 

go to registration >>

Registration Until 1st November From 2nd November On site
International symposium attendance fee EUR 100,- EUR 120,- EUR 140,-
Reduced rate for PhD students and residents* EUR 80,- EUR 100,- EUR 120,-
Reduced rate for Technical Assistants, students and unemployed EUR 70,- EUR 90,- EUR 100,-
conference dinner EUR 60,- EUR 60,- EUR 60,-

*PhD Students and residents must supply a letter of verification as proof of training. The letter has to be sent to the congress organization prior to the meeting.

The attendance fee covers the costs for coffee breaks and lunch, Incl. VAT and excl. foreign transfer fees

Payment

by bank transfer (bank details are quoted on your confirmation and invoice. Please do not transfer money without noting your invoice number!), PayPal or by credit card: VISA, AMERICAN EXPRESS, MASTERCARD

Important notes for participants

The attendance fee covers the costs for coffee breaks, lunch, and the conference dinner. If you register late or on-site we cannot guarantee for lunch and participation in the social program.

You are encouraged to apply for the meeting either online, by mail or by fax.
Cancellation for the symposium has to be made via e-mail or via fax (+49 (0) 2 11 / 59 35 60) by December 1st, 2026. In any case an administration fee of EUR 25,- has to be paid. After this date no refunds can be made.

Changes, errors and misprints excepted.



CME-POINTSBack to top

The Symposium is certified by the Ärztekammer Nordrhein providing 7 CME-points for each day for the German Continuing Medical Education System.

For the german participants: Bitte geben Sie ihre EF-Nummer bei der Onlineanmledung an, damit wir die Punkte an die Ärztekammer melden können.

An equivalent Certificate of Attendance will be given to you upon on-site registration.



Important dates and informationBack to top

Congress Outline – important dates and information – at a glance

Congress Venue

University Hospital Aachen, Central Building
Pauwelsstr. 30
D-52074 Aachen, Germany

Congress Office

Gerling Congresse
Düsseldorf, Germany


Time Schedule – Day 1, 11.12.2026
Time Artificial Vision Aachen Cornea Meeting
10:00 Welcome, Come together
Seminar Room
 
10:45 Scientific program, Session 1
Lecture Hall 2
 
12:00 Welcome Session
Seminar Room
12:15 Scientific program, Session 2
Lecture Hall 2
Workshop 1
Room: Konferenzraum
Workshop 2
Room: "Zahn 7"
13:45 Lunch Break
Seminar Room
14:30 Scientific program, Session 3
Lecture Hall 2
Workshop 3.1
Room: 6
Workshop 4
Room: Spiegelsaal
16:00 Coffee and Tea
Seminar Room
16:30 Scientific program, Session 4 – Math, AI, Simulation
Lecture Hall 2
Workshop 3.2
Room: 6
Workshop 5
Room: Konferenzraum
19:00 Conference Dinner
Registration necessary!


Time Schedule – Day 2, 12.12.2026
Time Artificial Vision Aachen Cornea Meeting
08:30 Poster Session
Room "Zahn 7"
Scientific program, Session 1
Changes in corneal supply:
Challenges, innovations and perspectives
Lecture Hall 6
10:00 Keynote Lecture
Lecture Hall 4
10:30 Coffee and Tea
Seminar Room
11:00 Scientific program, Session 5 – Clinical Studies
Lecture Hall 5
Scientific program, Session 2
Translational Eye Banking and Corneal Therapy
Lecture Hall 6
12:30 Lunch Break
Seminar Room
13:15 Award ceremony, Seminar Room
AV Travel Awards
Scientific Award of the Association of Cornea Banks of North Rhine-Westphalia
13:30 Scientific program, Session 6 – The Future
Lecture Hall 5
Scientific program, Session 3
Experimental and technological innovations in Eye Banking
Lecture Hall 6
14:45 Networking, Farewell
Seminar Room
17:00 Christmas Market Visit


Programme OverviewBack to top

Artificial Vision – the International Symposium on Visual Neuroprosthetics


Day 1 – Friday, December 11th, 2026

10:00 – 10:45
Seminar Room

Welcome (P. Walter) and Come Together

10:45 – 12:00
Lecture Hall 2

Session 1: Degenerations within the visual system
Chairs: Diego Ghezzi, Frank Müller

1.1. 10:45 – 11:00

Failure of inhibition explains the paradox of excitation and inhibition as a response to microstimulation in human V1
Tanguy Damart*, Rocío López-Peco+, Alfonso Rodil Doblado+, Cristina Soto-Sánchez+, Eduardo Fernández+, and Ján Antolík*

*Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; +Bioengineering Institute, University Miguel Hernández, Elche, Spain

1.2. 11:00 – 11:15

Phase of pathological oscillation influences excitability of retinal ganglion cells in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) mouse model, rd10
Suryapriya Ulaganathan1, Nick Johannes Lorenz2, Nruthyathi1, Andreas Erbslöh3, Karsten Seidl2,3, Frank Müller1

1Institute of Biological Information Processing, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany; 2Department of Electronic Components and Circuits, University of Duisburg-Essen and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, Germany; 3Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems, Duisburg, Germany

1.3. 11:15 – 11:30

Computational identification of ON- and OFF-like ganglion cell activity in degenerated retina
Ahmadreza Tajari, Frank Müller

Institute of Biological Information Processing 1 (IBI-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

1.4. 11:30 – 11:45

Resting-state electroretinography in RP mouse models and patients
Diego Ghezzi, Alexia Boizot, David G Litvin

Hôpital ophtalmique Jules-Gonin - Fondation Asile des aveugles, Switzerland

1.5. 11:45 – 12:00

Network-mediated subretinal stimulation enables high-acuity vision
Keith Ly1,2, Anna Kochnev Goldstein3, Mohajeet Balveer Bhuckory1,2, Davis Pham-Howard1,2, Nathan Jensen3, Daniel Palanker1,2
Presentation will be given by Daniel Palanker

1Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, 2Department of Ophthalmology, 3Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, CA, USA

12:00 – 12:15
Seminar Room

Official Welcome Session
Rector, Dean, Organizers

12:15 – 13:45
Lecture Hall 2

Session 2: New Concepts
Chairs: Jongmoo Seo, Karsten Seidl

2.1. 12:15 – 12:30

Biocompatible coatings for three-dimensional subretinal prostheses
Dr. Mohajeet B. Bhuckory¹˒², Viktoryia Shautsova²˒⁵, Vladimir Mamchik³, Nicharee Monkongpitukkul¹˒⁴, Davis Pham-Howard¹˒², Linh Mai Vu², Ludwig Galambos², Emma Butt⁶, Keith Mathieson⁶, Theodore Kamins⁷, Daniel Palanker¹˒²

¹Department of Ophthalmology, ²Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, ³Department of Biology, Stanford University; ⁴Department of Ophthalmology, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand; ⁵Department of Materials Science, University of Central Florida, USA; ⁶Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK; ⁷Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, USA

2.2. 12:30 – 12:45

Augmented Broadband Blindsight in Models of Blindness with Tellurium Nanowire Network Prosthesis
Jiayi Zhang

Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, PR of China

2.3. 12:45 – 13:00

Development of PFA-Based Electrode Platforms Toward High-Resolution Neural Interfaces
Jiseon Lee, Jisung Kim, Jongmo Seo

Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University, South Korea

2.4. 13:00 – 13:15

Simulation-Guided Thermo-Mechanical Design of PFA-Based Serpentine Interconnects for Retinal Prostheses
Buri Kim, Changhoon Baek, Jong Mo Seo, Jisung Kim

Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University, South Korea

2.5. 13:15 – 13:30

Fabrication of Biocompatible 3D Electrodes for High-resolution Subretinal Prostheses
Emma Butt1, Viktoryia Shautsova2, Mohajeet Bhuckory3, Linh Mai Vu4, Davis Pham-Howard3,4, Vladimir Mamchik4, Ludwig Galambos4, Andrew Shin5, Theodore Kamins5, Keith Mathieson1 and Daniel Palanker3,4

1Inst. of Photonics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK; 2Dept. of Material Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA; 3Dept. of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; 4Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; 5Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

2.6. 13:30 – 13:45

Near-Infrared Organic Photovoltaic Electrodes for Subretinal Neurostimulation
Andrea Corna1, Katarina Gugujonovic2, Manuela Schiek2,3, Alessandro Bellapianta4, Paul Werginz1, Amelie Ziller1, Markus Clark Scharber2, Ahmad Salti4, Matthias Bolz4, Mihai Irimia-Vladu2, Günther Zeck1

1Institute of Biomedical Electronics, TU Wien, Vienna 1040, Austria; 2Institute for Physical Chemistry (IPC) & Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells (LIOS), Johannes Kepler University, Linz 4040, Austria; 3Center for Surface- and Nanoanalytics (ZONA), Johannes Kepler University, Linz 4040, Austria; 4Research Group Cellular and Molecular Ophthalmology, University Clinic for Ophthalmology and Optometry, Medical Faculty, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz 4040, Austria

13:45 – 14:30
Seminar Room

Lunch Break with Sponsors

14:30 – 16:00
Lecture Hall 2

Session 3: Systems Integration and Preclinical Studies
Chairs: Yasuo Terasawa, Sven Ingebrandt

3.1. 14:30 – 14:45

Development and Evaluation of an Episcleral Stimulation Device for Electrically Evoked Potential Experiments in Rabbits
Yoshinori Sunaga1, Kuang-Chih Tso1, Virgil Christian Garcia Castillo1, Yasuo Terasawa1,2, Kentaro Nishida3, Takeshi Morimoto3, Jun Ohta1

1Strategic Initiative for Research and Innovation, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, Japan; 2NIDEK CO., LTD., Aichi, Japan; 3Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Osaka Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan

3.2. 14:45 – 15:00

Three-Dimensional PFA Subretinal Electrodes Enhance Ex Vivo Retinal Recruitment
Jisung Kim, Jiseon Lee, Seoyoung Hwang, Sangbeom Jun, Jong-Mo Seo

Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University, Ewha Womans University, South Korea

3.3. 15:00 – 15:15

Advances in COC-Based Retinal Electrodes: Fabrication Optimization and Via-Less 3D Integration
Joowon Lee1, Taekyung Lee1, Jongmo Seo1,2

1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University (ROK); 2Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital (ROK), South Korea

3.4. 15:15 – 15:30

Fabrication Strategy for Three-Dimensional COC-Based Neural Interfaces with Chip Integration
Taekyung Lee1, Joowon Lee1, Jongmo Seo1,2

1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University (ROK); 2Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital (ROK), South Korea

3.5. 15:30 – 15:45

Direct Au Bump-to-Bump Thermosonic Bonding on Fully Elastomeric PDMS Substrates for Implantable Devices
Takuro Kono1, Yasuo Terasawa1, Jun Ohta2 and Takeshi Morimoto3

1R&D Div., Nidek Co., Ltd., Aichi, Japan; 2Strategic Initiative for Research and Innovation, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, Japan; 3Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Osaka Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan

16:00 – 16:30
Seminar Room

Coffee / Tea Break with Sponsors

16:30 – 18:00
Lecture Hall 2

Session 4: Math, AI, and Simulation for Neuroprosthetics
Chairs: Paul Werginz, John Pezaris

4.1. 16:30 – 16:45

Mathematical Image Descriptors as Predictors of Human Preference: Implications for Artificial Vision
Dr. Václav Linkov, Tomáš Staudek

Department of Psychology and Social Sciences, Ambis University; Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University

4.2. 16:45 – 17:00

Sparse retinal video encoding with warm starts and online linearization
Henning Konermann1, Yuli Wu1,3, Emil Mededovic1, Volkmar Schulz1, Peter Walter2, Johannes Stegmaier1,3

1Chair of Imaging and Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Germany; 2Department of Ophthalmology, RWTH Aachen University, Germany; 3Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany

4.3. 17:00 – 17:15

Simulating the response to epiretinal stimulation of a fully reconstructed patch of mouse retina
Gabriel Rittenschober1, The Eyewire II Consortium2, Paul Werginz1
Presentation by Paul Werginz

1Institute of Biomedical Electronics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria; 2See https://eyewire.ai/consortium for a list of all consortium members and partner labs

4.4. 17:15 – 17:30

Residual stimulation adaptation improves simulated percept fidelity after electrode failure
Muhammad Afnan Ghafoor, Abdul Rahman, David Parlevliet

Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, Kentech Korea

4.5. 17:30 – 17:45

Smart Navigation for Visual Prostheses in Virtual Reality: An End-to-End Framework for Priority-Based Scene Translation and Path Guidance
Mohamed H. Abdellatif1, Fatma S. Elsharkawy1, Nouran H. Qassem1, Talal M. Emara1, Nada K. Kotb1, Muhammad Rushdi1,2, and Reham H. Elnabawy2

1Department of Biomedical Engineering and Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; 2School of Information Technology, New Giza University, Giza, Egypt

4.6. 17:45 – 18:00

Digital twins of retinal ganglion cell populations for closed-loop epiretinal stimulation
Amrith Lotlikar, Ian Christopher Tanoh, Praful Vasireddy, Andrew Lanpouthakoun, Ramandeep Vilkhu, Michael Sommeling, A.J. Phillips, Alexander Sher, Alan Litke, Scott W. Linderman, E.J. Chichilnisky, Subhasish Mitra

Stanford University, UC Santa Cruz, USA

19:00
Altes Kurhaus

Conference Dinner
Altes Kurhaus, City of Aachen
End of Day 1



Day 2 – Saturday, December 12th, 2026

08:30 – 10:00
Zahn 7

Poster Session "Early but with a coffee"
Moderators: Peter Walter, Gislin Dagnelie

P1

Electroporation-based delivery of neuroprotective genes into degenerating retinas in the rd10 mouse model of RP
Ziyu Bing, Peter Walter, Sandra Johnen

Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany

P2

MEA-Based Non-Viral Delivery of Neuroprotective Genes as Extended Approach to Treat Retinitis Pigmentosa
Osama Rahwanji¹, Kalyani Devkota², Ziyu Gao², Sven Ingebrandt², Peter Walter¹, Sandra Johnen¹

¹Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Experimentelle Ophthalmologie, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Deutschland; ²Institut für Werkstoffe der Elektrotechnik, RWTH Aachen University, Deutschland

P3

Multimodal Imaging of the Visual Cortex in Retinal Degenerated Rats
Mari Bonse1, Sophia Krottenthaler1, Sandra Krause1, Jing Wang1, Nicole Burda1, Michael Schöneck1, N. Jon Shah1,2, Philipp Lohmann1,3, Antje Willuweit1

¹Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich; ²Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital; ³Department of Nuclear Medicine, RWTH Aachen University Hospital

P4

Embedded Phase Detection Algorithm in Local Field Potentials from Retinal Recordings
Nick Johannes Lorenz1, Jonas Damann1, Suryapriya Ulaganathan2, Nruthyathi2, Domenic Pascual1, Andreas Erbslöh3, Frank Müller2, Karsten Seidl1,4

1University Duisburg-Essen, Electronic Components and Circuits, Duisburg, Germany; 2Forschungszentrum Jülich, Biological Information Processing, Jülich, Germany; 3University Duisburg-Essen, Intelligent Embedded Systems Lab, Duisburg, Germany; 4Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems, Duisburg, Germany

P5

Top-Side Flexible MEA for Long-Term Brain-Slice Recording
Bisruta Chowdhury1, Hanna Frese1, Henry Welter1, Henner Koch2, Ziyu Gao1, Sven Ingebrandt1, Frank Sommerhage1

1Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Germany; 2Department of Epileptology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

P6

A Bio-Electronic Hybrid Solid–Liquid Pixelated Color Image Sensor Array as a Direct-to-Display Artificial Retina Emulator
Ebin Joseph, Thomas M. Brown

Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy

P7

State of Art in Vitreoretinal Robotic Surgery and Robotic Surgery Option for Intraocular Artificial Vision Implants
Dr. Kazim Hilmi Or

Private Office of Ophthalmology

P8

Design, fabrication, and surgical feasibility of an epiretinal microelectrode array for implantation into the rat eye
M. Dagnev¹, X. T. Vu², T. T. T. Tran², S. Ingebrandt², T. Lohmann¹, S. Johnen¹, P. Walter¹

¹Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen; ²Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1 (IWE1), RWTH Aachen University, Germany

10:00 – 10:30
Lecture Hall 4

Keynote lecture
Gislin Dagnelie (Baltimore, USA)
Sixty years of electronic vision restoration: successes, disappointments and challenges ahead

10:30 – 11:00
Seminar Room

Coffee / Tea with Sponsors

11:00 – 12:30
Lecture Hall 5

Session 5: Clinical Studies
Chairs: Daniel Palanker, Takeshi Morimoto

5.1. 11:00 – 11:15

Adaptation to Artificial Vision
Katerina Eleonora K. Rassia1, Lydia Liapi2, John S. Pezaris3,4

1Univ. of Athens, Greece; 2Panteion Univ., Athens, Greece; 3Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA; 4Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

5.2. 11:15 – 11:30

Self-powered subretinal titania nanoprosthesis restore functional vision in no-light-perception patients
Chunhui Jiang, Yiheng Wang, Biao Yan, Jiayi Zhang

State Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disorders, Institutes of Brain Science, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

5.3. 11:30 – 11:45

From Simulation to Reality: An Autonomous AI-based Smart Navigation Wearable System for Bionic Vision Prosthetics – A Pilot Study
Fatma S. Elsharkawy¹, Mohamed H. Abdellatif¹, Nouran H. Qassem¹, Talal M. Emara¹, Nada K. Kotb¹, Muhammad Rushdi¹˒²

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering and Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; ²School of Information Technology, New Giza University, Giza, Egypt

5.4. 11:45 – 12:00

Long-term Clinical Experience with PRIMA: From perception to activities of daily living
Ralf Hornig1, Yannick Le Mer2, Mahi Muqit3, Lars Hattenbach4, Andrea Cusumano5, Salvatore Grisanti6, Laurent Kodjikian7, Frederic Matonti8, Eric Souied9, Boris V. Stanzel10, Peter Szurman11, Michel Weber12, Karl Ulrich Bartz-Schmidt13, Nicole Eter14, Marie Noelle Delyfer15, Jean François Girmens16, Koen A. van Overdam17, Armin Wolf20, Lisa Olmos de Koo21, Frank Brodie22, Daniel Palanker23, Jose Sahel24, Frank Holz25

1La Science, Paris; 2Hôpital Fondation A. de Rothschild, Paris; 3Moorfields Eye Hospital, London; 4Ludwigshafen Academic Teaching Hospital; 5University of Rome Tor Vergata; 6Universität zu Lübeck; 7Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon; 8Centre Monticelli Paradis, Marseille; 9Hôpital Intercommunal de Créteil; 10Knappschaftsklinikum Saar, Sulzbach; 11Knappschaftsklinikum Saar, Sulzbach; 12Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes; 13University Eye Hospital Tübingen; 14University of Münster; 15Universitaire de Bordeaux; 16Hôpital National des Quinze-Vingts, Paris; 17Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam; 20University of Ulm; 21University of Washington, Seattle; 22University of California, San Francisco; 23Stanford University; 24University of Pittsburgh; 25University of Bonn

5.5. 12:00 – 12:15

Development Status of STS Retinal Prothesis in Japan
T. Morimoto (Osaka, Japan)

Department of Advanced Visual Neuroscience, The University of Osaka Graduate School of Medicine

5.6. 12:15 – 12:30

General Discussion: How to deal with Neuroabandonment?
Moderator: Peter Walter

12:30 – 13:15
Seminar Room

Lunch with Sponsors

13:15 – 13:30
Seminar Room

Award Ceremony
AV Travel Grants
Scientific Award of the Association of Cornea Banks of North Rhine-Westphalia

13:30 – 15:30
Lecture Hall 5

Session 6: The Future
Chairs: Yossi Mandel, Ralf Hornig

6.1. 13:30 – 13:45

Temporal Interference Electrical Stimulation (TIS) of Pseudo-neuronal Cells: Implications for Visual Prosthetic Applications
Yasuo Terasawa1,2, Nobuharu Asai1, Takeshi Morimoto3, Jun Ohta2

1Nidek Co., Ltd., Aichi, Japan; 2Strategic Initiative for Research and Innovation, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, Japan; 3Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Osaka Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan

6.2. 13:45 – 14:00

Single Cell Study of Prosthetically induced Neural Activity in the Primary Visual Cortex
Yossi Mandel, Itay Shekel, Nairouz Farah

Faculty of life Sciences, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Israel

6.3. 14:00 – 14:15

Expanded use of multielectrode arrays for electroporation-based additive gene transfer
Sandra Johnen1, Osama Rahwanji1, Ziyu Bing1, Kalyani Devkota2, Ziyu Gao2, Sven Ingebrandt2, Peter Walter1

1Department of Ophthalmology, Experimental Ophthalmology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Germany; 2Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1, RWTH Aachen University, Germany

6.4. 14:15 – 14:30

A 1024-channel bidirectional neural interface ASIC for a single-cell and cell-type resolution epiretinal implant
Ronald Wijermars¹, Arash Akhoundi¹, Claire Baum², Madeline Hays², Adriana Rubio², Martin Breidenbach³, E.J. Chichilnisky², Dante Muratore¹

¹Delft University of Technology; ²Stanford University; ³SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

6.5. 14:30 – 14:45

3D intraretinal Kirigami implants for vision restauration
Martin Kasavetov1, Sofiia Demchenko1, Marie Jung1, Tibor Lohmann2, Peter Walter2, Andreas Offenhäusser1, Viviana Rincón Montes1

1Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany; 2Department of Ophthalmology, RWTH Aachen University, Germany

6.6. 14:45 – 15:30

General Discussion: The Future of Visual Neuroprosthetics
Moderators: NN, NN, NN
Topics: Meetings, Community Development, Journals, Companies, Societies
Including Online participation



Aachen Cornea Meeting | Aachener Hornhauttage 2026


Day 1 – Friday, December 11th, 2026

12:00 – 12:15
Seminar Room

Official Welcome Session (all Delegates)
Rector, Dean, Organizers

12:15 – 13:45

Workshop 1 – Raum: Konferenzraum
Gewinnung und Lagerung humaner Spenderhornhäute zur Transplantation: Qualitätssicherung und Vorstellung unterschiedlicher Lagerungstechniken

N. Hamsley, Klinik für Augenheilkunde Uniklinik RWTH Aachen
K. Rosenbaum, Klinik für Augenheilkunde Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf
A. Gareiss-Lok, Hornhautbank München gGmbH

Workshop 2 – Raum: "Zahn 7"
Augenpräparation im Kontext der Hornhautspende und Transplantation

Dr. med. G. Welsandt und Dr. med. C. Richter, Zentrum für Augenheilkunde Uniklinik Köln

13:45 – 14:30
Seminar Room

Lunch Break with Sponsors

14:30 – 16:00

Workshop 3.1 – Raum: 6
Kommunikationstraining Teil 1 Einführung

Prof. Dr. rer. medic. S. Stiel, Institut für Allgemeinmedizin und Palliativmedizin Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

Workshop 4 – Raum: Spiegelsaal
Gewinnung und Aufbereitung von Amnionmembranen in Hornhautbanken: vom Ausgangsgewebe zur transplantierbaren Gewebezubereitung

Dr. rer. medic. H. Thomasen, Klinik für Augenheilkunde Universitätsklinikum Essen

16:00 – 16:30
Seminar Room

Coffee / Tea with Sponsors

16:30 – 18:00

Workshop 3.2 – Raum: 6
Kommunikationstraining Teil 1 Praktische Übungen

Prof. Dr. rer. medic. S. Stiel, Institut für Allgemeinmedizin und Palliativmedizin Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

Workshop 5 – Raum: Konferenzraum
Spenderscreening – interaktive Fallvorstellungen

Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. T. Lohmann, Klinik für Augenheilkunde Uniklinik RWTH Aachen

19:00
Altes Kurhaus

Conference Dinner
Altes Kurhaus, Aachen City
End of Day 1



Day 2 – Saturday, December 12th, 2026

08:30 – 10:00
Lecture Hall 6

Session 1: Hornhautversorgung im Wandel: Herausforderungen, Innovationen und Perspektiven
Changes in corneal supply: Challenges, innovations and perspectives
Chairs: Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. M. Fuest, Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. B. Bachmann

 

Die aktuelle Situation der Hornhautbanken in Deutschland im europäischen Vergleich – Strukturen, Leistungszahlen und Entwicklungen
Prof. Dr. med. P. Mayer, Klinik für Augenheilkunde Universitätsklinikum Freiburg

Die SoHO-Verordnung entlang der Versorgungskette: Herausforderungen für Gewebebanken und transplantierende Einrichtungen
Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. J. Schroeter, Institut für Transfusionsmedizin Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Hornhaut-Transplantatmangel: neue Wege zu besserer Versorgung?!
Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. C. Cursiefen, Zentrum für Augenheilkunde Uniklinik Köln

Therapie der Endotheldysfunktion ohne Transplantat
Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. G. Geerling, Klinik für Augenheilkunde Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf

Universitäre CAIRS-Keratoplastik mittels Femtosekundenlaser und Eye Banking
Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. B. Seitz, Klinik für Augenheilkunde Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes

Indikationsstellung zur lamellären Keratoplastik: Wer ist geeignet?
Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. J. Menzel-Severing, Augenklinik Dardenne, Bonn

10:00 – 10:30
Lecture Hall 4

Keynote lecture
Gislin Dagnelie (Baltimore, USA)
Sixty years of electronic vision restoration: successes, disappointments and challenges ahead

10:30 – 11:00
Seminar Room

Coffee / Tea with Sponsors

11:00 – 12:30
Lecture Hall 6

Session 2: Translationales Eye Banking und Hornhauttherapie
Translational Eye Banking and Corneal Therapy
Chairs: Dr. med. S. Zwingelberg, Prof. Dr. med. N. Schrage

 

Prestripped tissue aus der Hornhautbank
Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. M. Fuest, Klinik für Augenheilkunde Uniklinik RWTH Aachen

Künstlicher Hornhautendothelersatz mit EndoArt: Brauchen wir noch die DMEK?
Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. B. Bachmann, Zentrum für Augenheilkunde Uniklinik Köln

Modernes Stufenmodell zur Visusrehabilitation bei Keratokonus: von PTK mit CxL, intrastromalen Implantaten bis zur DALK
Dr. med. F. Steindor, Klinik für Augenheilkunde Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf

Bowman Layer Transplantation: From Eye Bank Preparation to Clinical Impact
E. van Beek, NL-Rotterdam

Bedeutung der HSV-Immunfärbung für die histologische Untersuchung von Keratoplastikmaterial
Dr. med. L. Lohde, Augenklinik Universitätsklinikum Bonn

RNA-Prozessierung in der Pathogenese der Fuchs Endothelialen Hornhautdystrophie
Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. J. Menzel-Severing, Augenklinik Dardenne, Bonn

12:30 – 13:15
Seminar Room

Lunch Break with Sponsors

13:15 – 13:30
Seminar Room

Award Ceremony
AV Travel Grants
Scientific Award of the Association of Cornea Banks of North Rhine-Westphalia

13:30 – 14:45
Lecture Hall 6

Session 3: Experimentelle und technologische Innovationen im Eye Banking
Experimental and technological innovations in Eye Banking
Chairs: Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. G. Geerling, Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. J. Menzel-Severing

 

Die Physiologie des Hornhautödems: zum Erhalt der Hornhauttransparenz. Experimentelle Ansätze zur Verbesserung der Hornhautkultur
Prof. Dr. med. N. Schrage, Augenklinik Köln-Merheim Kliniken der Stadt Köln

Humanes Blutplättchenlysat versus fetales Kalbserum als xeno-freies Supplement zur Organkultur humaner Descemet-Membran-Endothellamellen
J. Klett, Klinik für Augenheilkunde Uniklinik RWTH Aachen

Transparente Hybridmembranen aus Chitosan und Melt Electrowriting (MEW): Eine biosynthetische Alternative zur Amnionmembran für die Rekonstruktion der kornealen Oberfläche
Dr. med. S. Zwingelberg, Labor für experimentelle Ophthalmologie Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf

Jenseits der Straße: Drohnenbasierter Transport von Hornhautgewebe – von der Machbarkeit bis hin zu grenzüberschreitende Anwendungen
Dr. med. S. Veldeman, Klinik für Anästhesiologie Uniklinik RWTH Aachen

GECKO – Grafts for Enhanced Corneal Keratoplasty
Dr. rer. nat. C. Skazik-Voogt, Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie (IPT) Aachen

14:45 – 16:00
Seminar Room

Networking, Farewell
All delegates



HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONSBack to top

Parkhotel Quellenhof
Monheimsallee 52, 52062 Aachen | www.parkhotel-quellenhof.de

Hotel Novotel Aachen City
Peterstraße 66, 52062 Aachen | https://all.accor.com/a/de.html

Innside by Melia
Sandkaulstraße 20, 52062 Aachen | https://www.melia.com/de/hotels/deutschland/aachen

Hampton by Hilton Aachen Tivoli
Merowingerstraße 2, 52070 Aachen | https://www.hilton.com/de/hotels/aahhxhx-hampton-aachen-tivoli/

Best Western Plus Hotel Regence
Peterstraße 71, 52062 Aachen | www.bestwestern.de

Aquis Grana City Hotel
Büchel 32, 52062 Aachen | https://www.hotel-aquis-grana.de/de/

Hotel am Marschiertor
Wallstraße 1-7, 52064 Aachen | https://hotelammarschiertor.de/



SPECIAL NOTICE: AACHENER HORNHAUTTAGBack to top

Please note that the Aachener Hornhauttag will take place simultaneously with the Artificial Vision. The sessions of the Aachener Hornhauttag will be held in German with English slides. Participation in these lectures is included in the registration fee for the Artificial Vision.



CALL FOR ABSTRACTSBack to top

Abstract submission

Please submit your abstract online:
Deadline for abstract submission:
Monday, 16th September, 2026

Layout

Your abstract must not exceed 2000 letters in total (including blanks). Start with the title, authors, and affiliation(s) followed by a blank line followed by a standard abstract structure (Objective, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion). In case of external or institutional funding please acknowledge the sponsor.

Example

The thresholds for retinal stimulation in blind RP subjects.
Franz Reuter, Julia Sachtweh, Reinhard Meier
Department of Ophthalmology, Island City, Elsewhere

Objective. To describe the stimulation thresholds for subretinal stimulation using platinum red electrodes embedded into new insulation materials.

Materials and Methods. In six blind RP patients a new subretinal device was implantated and cortical potentials were recorded upon electrical retinal stimulation. Cortical potentials were determined using a new response isolation algorithm developed by Meier et al. The cortical responses were correlated with stimulus parameters.

Results. In all six patients the implantation was done successfully. All patients had visual percepts. In all patients cortical potentials can be recorded and the the stimulus duration necessary to obtain a response was 67 ms cathodic first with an mean amplitude of 435 µV.

Discussion. The stimulation at threshold was well within the non-toxic range for tissue stimulation and no patient had any adverse events.

Acknowledgment. This work was supported by ABC grant 874987.



INFORMATION FOR SPEAKERSBack to top

Presentations

15 min presentation + 5 min discussion

Projection

Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on CD-R/DVD/flash drive or own notebook.
Video codec: Quicktime 7.7.9®, Windows Media Player 12.0®



Your way to AachenBack to top


International Airports. High Speed Train System

From Frankfurt: Take the ICE High Speed train from Frankfurt Airport Station to Cologne Main Station (approx. 1h) and continue to Aachen Main Station (approx. 45-60 min).

From Düsseldorf: Take the train from Düsseldorf Airport Station to Düsseldorf Main Station (approx. 10 min) and then continue to Aachen Main Station (approx. 1.5 h).

From Cologne. Take the train from Cologne Airport Station to Cologne Main Station (approx. 15 min) and then continue to Aachen Main Station (approx. 45 - 60 min).

Several bus lines are connecting Aachen Main Station with the University Hospital.


By car.

From Frankfurt Airport you can drive highway A3 to Cologne and then change to A4 direction to Aachen. At AK Aachen please change to A544 direction Aachen Europaplatz (approx. 3 h).

From Düsseldorf Airport. A52 -> A61 -> A44. Then A544 direction Europaplatz. (approx. 95 km, 1 h)

From Cologne Airport. Take the A59, then change to A599 followed by A4 towards Aachen. Then A544 direction Europaplatz. (approx. 82 km, 1 h)


Meeting address

University Hospital Aachen
RWTH Aachen University,

Pauwelsstr. 30
D-52074 Aachen, Germany



AachenBack to top


Aachen and the EUREGIO area

The city of Aachen is the most western city in Germany close to the borders of The Netherlands and Belgium. Aachen has approx. 250,000 inhabitants and the University and the University Hospital are the largest employer here in Aachen. Aachen has a long history and you can still see significant witnesses of a time long ago, such as the cathedral with its beautiful and mystic octagon and the astonishing gothic city hall. But Aachen with its important historic phase of Charlemagne today is a young and vivid town with its university and the many students from various countries in the world. RWTH Aachen University is one of the leading technical universities in Europe with a strong focus on mechanical and electrical engineering but also on information technology and natural sciences. Aachen forms a cultural, industrial and also scientific cross border triangle together with Liege in Belgium and Maastricht in The Netherlands forming the EUREGIO area. Many cooperations exist between the institutions within this area.

The Artificial Vision Meeting is set to the mid of December. Although the weather might not be perfect – in fact it could be cold and maybe rainy – it is worth to visit the cosy Christmas Market in the city. You should try “Printen”, a local biscuit speciality with a high “addiction” potential.

Aachen is also not far away from Cologne with its huge cathedral and its several concert halls and the province capital Düsseldorf with its important art and fashion scene. You can also reach the European capitals Paris and Brussels by high speed train within a few hours.

There are also many more reasons to come and visit Aachen and we are looking forward to see you.