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FDA Approves ASRS Leader's ArgusŪ II Artificial Retina

On February 14, the FDA approved the Argus II artificial retina developed by ASRS Executive Committee and Board Member Mark S. Humayun, MD, PhD.

This breakthrough technology is the first ever to offer limited vision to patients with late-stage retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

 Second Sight Medical Products (Sylmar, CA) manufactures the Argus II implant, which has 60 electrodes and a tiny camera mounted on eyeglasses to capture images.

 The FDA approved Argus II for adults age 25 years or older with severe to profound RP. About 10,000 to 15,000 of the 100,000 Americans with RP will qualify for Argus II. Up to 4,000 patients a year can be treated with the device.


...  more


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FDA Approves ASRS Leader's ArgusŪ II Artificial Retina

Submitted by Dr Peter Van Houten on Fri, 02/15/2013 - 07:00

FDA Approves ASRS Leader's Argus® II Artificial Retina 


Mark S. Humayun, MD, PhD, devoted more than 20 years of R&D

 

On February 14, the FDA approved the Argus II artificial retina developed by ASRS (American Society of Retina Specialists) Executive Committee and Board Member Mark S. Humayun, MD, PhD.

 

This breakthrough technology is the first ever to offer limited vision to patients with late-stage retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

 

Second Sight Medical Products (Sylmar, CA) manufactures the Argus II implant, which has 60 electrodes and a tiny camera mounted on eyeglasses to capture images.

 

The FDA approved Argus II for adults age 25 years or older with severe to profound RP. About 10,000 to 15,000 of the 100,000 Americans with RP will qualify for Argus II. Up to 4,000 patients a year can be treated with the device.

 

Argus II technology also holds hope for patients with advanced AMD.

 

News of Argus II's FDA approval appeared on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, on the front page of The New York Times, on Business Wire, and in other business, scientific and consumer media sources.

 

For more details on Argus II, including how this new technology will affect retina specialists and patients, watch for a special ASRS website interview with Mark Humayun.

 

The new artificial retina exemplifies what we at the ASRS encourage and strive to achieve: advancing the science of retina and giving patients new hope.

Second Sight 


See Second Sight web page for more information.

American Society Of Retina Specialists web page 

Dr Peter Van Houten's blog