Retinal implant users: how do they see, and how can they see better?
The Argus® II Retinal ProsthesisThe Argus® II retinal implant (Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., Sylmar, CA) is a novel device that enables blind persons to see. Akin to cochlear implants, retinal implants typically use an eyeglass-mounted camera to capture video input, translate it into electrical stimulation patterns, and directly stimulate the remaining healthy part of a patient’s visual pathway to generate visual percepts.
Being the first and only FDA-approved retinal implant, Argus® II has attracted substantial media attention. So far, around 350 patients have been implanted with this device worldwide. The University of Minnesota has implanted 10 patients to date. |
Left, the Argus II eyeglass with a camera mounted in the center. Middle, the Video Processing Unit, which translates the video captured by the camera into electrical stimulation patterns. The stimulation patterns are then sent wirelessly to the implant via the antenna on the glasses.
(Source: http://www.secondsight.com/system-overview-en.html) |
The implant (left) and how it is positioned on the eye (right). The size of the implant chip is similar to the tip of the pen, and it has a 6-by-10 microelectrode array.
(Source: http://www.secondsight.com/system-overview-en.html) |