Two RP Patients Receive Argus II Implants

Two newly approved centers, located in Camposampiero and Florence, have completed their first commercial implants of the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System (Argus II), says the system's manufacturer, Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. The patients are suffering from outer retinal degeneration.

Outer retinal degeneration is the deterioration of the outer layer of the retina caused by progressive death of the cells in this region of the retina. An important type of outer retinal degeneration is Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). To date, surgeons have implanted the specialty lens in more than 100 individuals worldwide. The system stimulates the remaining cells of the retina with electrical pulses. These firing cells create light patterns in the brain. The company says these images help with such daily activities as recognizing shapes and large objects, locating people, identifying the location of doorways, and following lines or edges.

The treatment is offered at approved centers in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. Read more.

Argus Named 'Invention of the Year'

Popular Science has recognized the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System from Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., as ‘Invention of the Year.’ Each year, its editors review thousands of products in search of the top 100 innovations that represent a significant leap in their categories. Argus converts video images captured by a miniature camera housed in the patient’s glasses into a series of small electrical pulses that are transmitted wirelessly to an array of electrodes on the surface of the retina. These pulses reportedly stimulate the retina’s remaining cells, resulting in the corresponding perception of patterns of light in the brain. The patient then learns to interpret these visual patterns, thereby regaining some visual function.