10 November 2016
The European trial of a new bionic eye can claim its first success – a patient has reported seeing light after the Iris II epi-retinal system was switched on.
The 73-year-old patient with retinitis pigmentosa underwent surgery led by Moorfields Eye Hospital vitreoretinal surgeon, Dr Mahi Muqit, at the hospital in September.
The patient will now undergo comprehensive rehabilitation to interpret what he perceives from the bionic eye.
The Iris II system was designed by Pixium Vision and features an intraocular implant with 150 electrodes and a “bio-inspired” camera.
Dr Muqit highlighted that patients in Austria, France, Germany and Spain will also receive the implant as part of the multi-country trial of the Iris II.
He explained that: “The 150-electrode implant with its explantable [surgically removable] design may become an innovative option for retinal surgeons. Participation in the European clinical trial allows us to evaluate the new system.”
Pixium Vision is also developing a second retinal implant system, the Prima, designed specifically for patients with age-related macular degeneration.
Image credit: Pixium Vision
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