A German firm named Retina Implant has scored a big win for the subretinal solution with a three-millimeter, 1,500 pixel microchip that gives patients a 12 degree field of view.
Eleven patients who lost their sight due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) received the implant through surgical transchoroidal implantation.
The results achieved in the 11 patients that were involved in the trial exceeded the company’s expectations for their first trial.
The success of the operation was confirmed when a few of the patients were able to see objects and shapes so clearly they could combine letters to form words and even recognize foreign objects.
“I first noticed my eyesight was impaired at 16, and over a period of 16-17 years, my condition deteriorated to complete blindness,” said the 11th patient, a 45 year-old Finland-based male. “I knew there was a chance the implant wouldn’t enable me to see anything, but I was willing to participate in the research with the hope I would regain some sight. When the microchip was turned on, I immediately was able to distinguish light from dark and see outlines of objects. As I got used to the implant, my vision improved dramatically. I was able to form letters into words, even correcting the spelling of my name. I recognized foreign objects such as a banana and could distinguish between a fork, knife and spoon. Most impressively, I could recognize the outlines of people and differentiate heights and arm movements from 20 feet away.”
The results of the Retina Implant will be presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology’s (ARVO) annual meeting from May 2nd-6th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Further Coverage: Engadget, Medgadget, Businesswire, Retina Implant
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