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Sensor100
July 2015
A study is now underway to evaluate the surgical implantation of
retineal prostheses in patients with dry
AMD.
Second Sight Medical Prod-
ucts Inc,
CA USA, have developed a
retineal implant Argus® 11 which has
gained widespread approval and has pre-
viously been used to treat patients with
a common visual problem for diabetics:
retinitis pigmentosa.
In a groundbreaking first, on 22 July, a
a dry AMD patient was implanted with
Argus® 11 at the Manchester Royal Eye
Hospital in the United Kingdom by Dr. Paulo Stanga MD, Consultant
Ophthalmologist &Vitreoretinal Surgeon, Professor of Ophthalmology
and Retinal Degeneration at The University of Manchester.The device
was activated approximately two weeks after implantation, and initial
reports confirm that the subject is receiving some useful vision from
the Argus® II system.
The Argus® II works by converting images captured by a miniature
video camera mounted on the patient’s glasses into a series of small
electrical pulses, which are transmitted wirelessly to an array of elec-
trodes implanted on the surface of the retina.These pulses are intend-
ed to stimulate the retina’s remaining cells, resulting in the perception
of patterns of light in the brain.The patient then learns to interpret
these visual patterns, thereby regaining some visual function.The sys-
tem is controlled by software and is upgradeable, which may provide
improved performance as new algorithms are developed and tested.
Press release: Second Sight, July 22, 2015
Continued...
Argus® 11 Retineal Implant
Image: Second Sight