For the first time, surgeons have implanted a bionic eye in a patient with age-related macular degeneration, allowing him to see using a retinal implant that converts video images from a tiny camera equipped to his glasses, various media outlets are reporting.
According to BBC News, doctors in Manchester implanted the device in 80-year-old Ray Flynn, a man who had experienced compete loss of his central vision due to the condition. Flynn is now able to make out the direction of white lines on a computer screen thanks to the implant.
Flynn, who contracted AMD eight years ago, received the implant in June and can now make out the faces of his family and watch television, The Telegraph reported. In addition, he can even see with his eyes shut and is reportedly the first man to possess both artificial and natural vision.
The device used in his procedure was the Argus II implant, which is manufacturer by US-based Second Sight and was previously used to restore vision to patients suffering from the condition retinitis pigmentosa. The operation was performed at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.
Patient’s vision should continue to improve, doctors say
The Argus II operates by converting video images captured using the miniature camera into a series of small electrical pulses, which are then transmitted wirelessly to electrodes which were placed on the surface of Flynn’s retina. Those electrodes them stimulate the remaining cells on the retina, which in turn sends the information to the brain for processing.
Following the procedure, Flynn, a retired engineer, told The Telegraph, “I can now actually see the face of my brother, and watching Manchester United on the television is easier. I have central vision now which I haven’t had for eight years… My brain is still trying to catch up and work out what is going on, but I have been told it will continue to get better.”
Flynn was implanted with the device during an operation on June 16, and the Argus II system was activated on July 1. He immediately started being able to make out the outlines of his family and even various objects, even with his eyes closed. Ophthalmologist Paulo Stanga said that his progress was “truly remarkable” and said that his vision should continue to improve.
Flynn suffered from the dry form of AMD, which Stanga said is “a common, but untreatable condition” that is the leading cause of slight loss in much of the world and which is becoming more common due to the aging population. “This technology is revolutionary and changes patients’ lives – restoring some functional vision and helping them to live more independently.,” he added. “As far as I am concerned, the first results of the trial are a total success.”
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Image Credit: Thinkstock
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