Retinitis Pigmentosa is an eye disease where the retina of the eye is damaged. The retina is locaated at the back of the eye and is responsible for converting light images to nerve signals that the brain can interpret.
The Argus II works by bypassing damaged photoreceptor tissues in the eye. The patient wears special eyeglasses that houses a small video camera, wireless transmitter, and is connected to a small computer worn by the person. The camera captures the image which the computer processes and converts into data that the brain can understand. The wireless transmitter then sends these signals to the eye implant which transmits it directly to the optic nerve, sending the signal directly to the brain.
The eye is implanted with a wireless receiver that receives the data from the glasses and an electrical array that sends it straight to the optic nerve. (See video below).
The optical system is named after the Greek mythological giant, Argus Panoptes. Argus had 100 eyes and was the servant of the goddess, Hera. Argus was considered all-seeing and was relied upon by Hera to stand guard and monitor things.
FDA recommends approval for Second Sight's Argus II retinal prosthesis system in the USA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Ophthalmic Devices Advisory Panel unanimously voted 19-0 that the probable benefit of the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System outweighs the risks to health, an important step toward the FDA market approval of this product manufactured by Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. In making this determination, the panel spent ten hours carefully reviewing and discussing data submitted from the international clinical trial of this innovative retinal implant that, for the first time ever, partially restores vision to patients who are blind due to Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP).
