It never ceases to amaze me how fast eye technology has improved.
Just recently, Ray Flynn became the first patient with AMD (age-related macular degeneration) to be fitted with a prosthesis in the eye. This device that was developed by the company Second Sight is a breakthrough for the future of eye care. Even though his peripheral vision was good, due to AMD, his central vision was practically non-existent. This device is called The Argus II. It is an electronic retinal implant primarily designed to improve the vision of people with severe cases of an inherited disease called retinitis pigmentosa.
It has been in existence since 2011, but this is the first time that it has been used on patients with macular degeneration. The Argus II converts the images (picked up by a video camera on a pair of glasses) into electrical pulses that stimulate the cells of the retina.
Patients usually have some improvement in their vision and often the ability to read large print letters with more than significant improvements in their mobility and detection of objects. According to the reports “Flynn can detect the direction of white lines on a computer screen. He can also make out the outlines of objects and people “.
So far, more than 80 people have received implants from Second Sight but Ray Flynn is the first for AMD. The cost of one implant is about US$100,000.
What is most exciting about this device is that it may herald better vision for patients suffering from other diseases as improvement continues and the prices go down.
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