A team of surgeons in Manchester, northern England, successfully performed the world’s first bioengineered eye implant surgery for Ray Flynn, an 80-year-old patient who had completely lost his central vision due to dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—the most common cause of blindness in developed countries.
Flynn is now using a retinal implant that converts video images from a tiny digital camera mounted on his glasses. Thanks to this implant, he is able to see white lines on a computer screen. Flynn expressed excitement and hope that his vision would continue improving, allowing him to resume everyday activities such as gardening and shopping.
The implant—called Argus II, manufactured by Second Sight Medical Products Inc. (USA)—was originally developed to restore vision in patients blinded by the rare condition retinitis pigmentosa.
The surgery at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital is the first Argus II implantation in the world for a patient with dry AMD, a condition affecting at least 500,000 people in the UK.
Before surgery, Flynn still retained peripheral vision but had completely lost central vision. He explained:
“I couldn’t use my bank card in shops or at the bank. I couldn’t pull weeds in the garden. Even sitting close to the TV, I still couldn’t see anything.”
His four-hour operation was performed by Professor Paulo Stanga of Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. According to Dr. Stanga:
“Ray Flynn’s vision is improving. He can now see outlines of people and objects. It is fair to say the procedure has been a success.”
How the Bioengineered Eye Works
The implant receives visual information from the miniature digital camera on the patient’s glasses.
These images are converted into electrical signals and transmitted wirelessly to a 60-electrode array implanted in the retina.
The electrodes stimulate the remaining retinal cells, which send visual information to the brain.Two weeks after the surgery, Flynn could already distinguish horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines on a computer screen.
To confirm that his vision came from the camera–implant system rather than his natural eyesight, Flynn was asked to keep his eyes closed during testing.Although the implant does not provide detailed vision, early studies show that it can help patients recognize door frames and the outlines of objects.
Four additional dry AMD patients are scheduled to receive the implant at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital as part of a clinical trial.
The Argus II device costs around £150,000.The trial is being conducted by the Manchester Clinical Research Facility, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Wellcome Trust.
Cathy Yelf, Chief Executive of the Macular Society, stated:
“These results are extremely encouraging, and we are closely following the progress of the clinical trials. This research may lead to a truly useful device for people who have lost their central vision.”
According to Dr. Stanga:
“Dry AMD is common and currently untreatable. In Western countries, it is the leading cause of vision loss.”
The charity Fighting Blindness estimates that over 30 million people worldwide suffer from dry AMD, which accounts for 85% of AMD cases.
Second Sight is now developing the third-generation bioengineered eye, which they believe may one day allow patients to recognize faces.