A Telescope Implant To Restore Sight
Researchers at Californian VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies produce a telescope implant capable of combating Age-related macular degeneration
As the second biggest cause of blindness worldwide, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) presents a serious challenge to health care today. The condition, which damages the part of our retina responsible for seeing and transmitting fine detail to the brain, is a huge focus for ophthalmic technology researches around the world, and recently a new solution to the blind spots it causes has been released.
The development
Researchers at the Californian VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies company has produced small implantable telescope which can be put into the eye to replace the lens damaged by AMD. From here, the technology is able to exploit the parts of the eye left relatively untouched by the condition to project images onto a broader area of the retina, and sight is restored.
The device’s originators claim that their technology can double the effectiveness of vision in as much as two thirds of trialled patients. This is the equivalent of improving three lines on an eye chart – the biggest improvement of any AMD solution today.
Potential drawbacks
The most important thing to note about the device is that it can only be used in one eye. This is because whilst it is capable of finely tuning central sight, it does nothing for peripheral vision and so relies on the second eye for this.
As well as this, some trialled patients did experience side effects including inflammation and a build up of fluids resulting in a pressure around the eyes. That said, VisionCare were keen to point out that because of the pioneering nature of their work this discomfort could just as easily have been a result of new surgical procedure rather than the device itself.
What’s more, we were reminded that this is a device designed to treat the late stages of AMD which severely affect eyesight, and the small possibility of these minor side effects should not be enough to dissuade us from the substantial beneficial effects the telescope provides. Researchers trialling the technology expressed how alleviating sufferers’ dependence on others and restoring the ability to enjoy every day activities makes a huge difference to the quality of life they receive, and have recently won US Federal approval on the device.
When will we be able to use it?
There are still certain conditions to be met in the US before it becomes readily available, and sadly there is no information as to its availability in other countries. Nonetheless, the development represents a huge step in combating the condition and such an advancement is promising for the whole world.