A first in the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) has approved the recommendation for Second Sight Medical Products to provide a select group of blind patients with RP to be treated with the Argus II retinal prosthetic implant. The funding will come from the government’s Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE) program.Mr Will McGuire CEO Second Sight announced, This is a major milestone for Second Sight because we are the only company able to donstrate a favorable long-term benefit-torisk statent up to five years after implantation for some RP patients. {{quote-A:R-W:450-Q: The pulses then create light signals to the brain which interpret these as patterns to mimic visual function. }}He added, “NHS England is known to be under significant financial pressure and also extrely selective in adopting innovative technologies – which must donstrate sufficient value for money. We expect that this decision will be observed throughout the world by other healthcare agencies. Two implantation centers in England have been identified by the NHS, the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital in the north and London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital in the south. Together with Second Sight, the hospitals will provide therapy and maintenance support for those availing the implants.Argus II applies electrical stimulation on healthy and viable retinal cells and bypasses damaged ones. The retinal implant then converts images captured by a miniature camera integrated into the patient’s spectacles and transmits a series of small electrical bursts through electrodes implanted on the retina’s surface.The pulses then create light signals to the brain which interpret these as patterns to mimic visual function.{{image2-a:l-w:400}}Professor Paulo Stanga from the University of Manchester and the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital said that he has seen first-hand the benefits of the Argus II artificial retina implant on totally blind patients and how it significantly changed their quality of life.“We live in a visual world, so it is reassuring and life affirming for a person who is completely blind to regain some basic vision. This is a wonderful decision. For patients’ families, it is also a life-enhancing treatment, because it can mean less dependence for their loved ones, Stanga said.Argus II has also been approved for use in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherland, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
All you need to know ahead of SILMO Singapore 2024
Asia's new flagship optics and eyewear trade show SILMO Singapore is returning for a second edition in April 2024, featuring...