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PubMed Health of the US National Library of Medicine defines retinitis pigmentosa as an eye disease in which the retina, the tissue located at the back of the inner eye that converts light images to nerve signals and sends them to the brain, incurs damage. The article further notes that when the retina is damaged, one or more of the following could happen:
• Deterioration of night vision
• Loss of peripheral vision
• Loss of central vision
To help address this eye condition, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, created by Second Sight Medical Products of Sylmar of California. This device is a combination of a small video camera and a computer installed on a pair of eyeglasses. For the device to work, an artificial retina is implanted inside the eye.
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Dubbed as the “bionic eye”, the Argus II allows patients with little or no perception of light to achieve independence in mobility. However, this should not be mistaken as an instrument for people to gain perfect vision, but be considered an instrument that aids in the perception of shapes and movements.
“It’s going to be exciting for people who get this device who are currently just seeing light or dark, [they] will see shapes and that will be life-altering for them,” Dr. Mark Fromer, an ophthalmologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City said.
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Ophthalmologists from all over the country, like Dr. Hitesh K. Patel of Edison, NJ, applaud this remarkable medical breakthrough. To stay abreast on the latest in ophthalmology, visit this Facebook page.
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