An interventional study of Electrotactile display (BrainPort) and Vision-to-sound converter (AI Sight) in Blindness, sponsored by Stanford University. Not yet recruiting at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 8 Years to 85 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-05.
Sponsored by Stanford University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
The goal of this clinical investigation is to learn how the brain responds when visual information is converted into patterns of sound or touch in blind and sighted participants. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Researchers will use brain imaging and simple performance tasks to see how people process and learn from this type of converted sensory input. The investigators will compare how individuals with and without long-term vision loss respond to these signals.
Participants will:
144 studies on the registry are indexed under Blindness; 33 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 200 is above the median of 37 across 101 interventional studies indexed under Blindness.
Browse Blindness studies →Stanford University is the lead sponsor of 2,168 studies on the registry; 431 are open to participants now.
Of its 267 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 207 (78%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will learn to interpret the sound patterns that are converted from visual information while using the assistive technology.
Device: Vision-to-sound converter (AI Sight)
Participants will learn to interpret the touch patterns that are converted from visual information while using the assistive technology.
Device: Electrotactile display (BrainPort)
Participants will learn to interpret the sound/touch patterns verbally without presenting the sensory signals from the assistive technologies.
Device: Sham
The BrainPort is a non-surgical assistive device that translates digital information from a video camera to gentle electrotactile stimulation patterns on the surface of the tongue.
The AI Sight is an auditory technology software that can convert visual information into sound patterns, which can be delivered through regular headphones.
Participants will wear the assistive technology system, but there will be no active sensory signals applied.
Number of correct responses to visual performance tasks
Measuring the change in the number of correct responses to visual performance tasks from baseline to week 5.
Time frame: 5 weeks
Reaction time to visual performance tasks
Measuring the change in reaction time to visual performance tasks from baseline to week 5.
Time frame: 5 weeks
Metabolic brain profile
Measuring the change in neurometabolic markers by magnetic resonance spectroscopy from baseline to week 5.
Time frame: 5 weeks
Blood-oxygenation-level-dependent functional brain activity level
Measuring the change in blood-oxygenation-level-dependent brain activity level by T2\*-weighted functional magnetic resonance imaging from baseline to week 5.
Time frame: 5 weeks
Gray matter density
The change in gray matter density signals from T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging through 5 weeks
Time frame: 5 weeks
White matter directional diffusivity
The change in directional diffusivity in the white matter microstructures measured from advanced diffusion magnetic resonance imaging through 5 weeks
Time frame: 5 weeks
Plan to share: No — No current plan to share data.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Jun 2026; primary completion for Aug 2030, 50 months later.
Of 36 interventional studies with no phase under Blindness, half reached primary completion within 57 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 19. This study's planned 50 months is below that.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Mar 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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