Promising implant results for blind, vision impaired

One of the implants, involving the IRIS II bionic vision syst, was conducted at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, UK, by consultant ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon Mr Mahi Muqit in Septber this year.{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:2-Q: The patient’s syst was activated and reported first perception of light. The patient will now learn how to interpret light signals as his new form of bionic vision. -WHO:Mr Mahi Muqit, consultant ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon}}A 73-year-old retinitis pigmentosa patient was the first in the UK to receive the syst and, following the procedure, reported that the implant allowed him to differentiate between light and dark for the first time in five years.“The patient’s syst was activated and reported first perception of light,” Mr Muqit stated. “The patient will now learn how to interpret light signals as his new form of bionic vision.”The IRIS II uses a bio-inspired camera and a 150 electrode epi-retinal implant to send image signals to the brain and help patients who have lost their sight regain partial visual perception.Similarly, Second Sight Medical Products recently announced the first successful implantation and activation of a wireless visual cortical stimulator in a human subject.In a US study at UCLA, a 30-year-old patient was implanted with a wireless multichannel neurostimulation syst on the visual cortex as part of a proof of concept clinical trial. It was said the patient was able to perceive and localise individual phosphenes or spots of light with no significant adverse side effects.Second Sight president and CEO Mr Will McGuire said the success of the study gave the company “renewed energy” to progress development of the Orion I visual cortical prosthesis, which bypasses the optic nerve and directly stimulates the visual cortex to restore useful vision.