EYES In The News: First Patient Receives Bionic Eye Implant For AMD

(RTTNews) - Surgeons at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital in the United Kingdom have successfully performed a bionic eye implant in an 80-year old dry age-related macular degeneration patient.

Developed by Second Sight Medical Products Inc. (EYES), the bionic eye implant Argus II System has already been tested and approved in the United States and Europe for individuals with Retinitis Pigmentosa and Outer Retinal Degeneration, respectively.

The Argus II System has three parts namely, a small electronic device implanted in and around the eye, a tiny video camera attached to a pair of glasses, and a video processing unit that is worn or carried by the patient.

Here's how it works...

The patient wears glasses with an attached video camera that captures images of the surrounding area. These images become an electrical signal which is processed by the video processing unit. The signal is then wirelessly delivered to the eye stimulating the retina. This electrical stimulation of the retina is recognized by the brain as spots of light.

The implant carried out by the Manchester surgeons is part of a feasibility study which aims to evaluate the safety and utility of the Argus II System in individuals with late-stage dry age-related macular degeneration, a condition that severely affects their central vision.

According to the company, five patients are to be implanted with the Argus II in the feasibility study, and study subjects will be followed for three years to evaluate safety and utility of the bionic eye implant on visual function.

EYES closed Wednesday's trading 6.60% higher at $14.37.