The world's smallest telescope is making big news.
Macular degeneration, an eye disorder that damages the center of the retina, is the leading cause of blindness in elderly people. About 8 million people in the United States suffer from it. They experience a small blind spot in the middle of their field of view that not only makes it difficult to read or watch TV, but can eventually creep outward to hinder sight completely. At least 2 million Americans have the advanced stage of the disease.
For those previously without hope, this new device may be the answer.
The Implantable Telescope has three main parts: a fused quartz glass capsule that contains tiny optics; a clear, plastic-like carrier; and a blue plastic-like piece that restricts light.
A surgeon implants the prosthetic, which is about the size of a pea, into the front of patient's eye. When light enters the telescope, it gets magnified about 2.5 times and projected onto healthy areas of the retina unaffected by macular degeneration. This allows the patient to see more of the scene and discern objects that may have been unrecognizable in the past.
See a video of how it works, here.
On condition by the FDA, patients and surgeons are both required to sign an "acceptance of risk agreement," which details potential side effects, including corneal damage and worsened vision.
That said, in clinical trials that tested the device on 219 patients prior to the FDA approval, "90 percent of patients achieved at least a 2-line gain in either their distance or best-corrected visual acuity, and 75 percent of patients improved their level of vision from severe or profound impairment to moderate impairment," reports the FDA.
We first reported on this technology back in May, 2009. It's nice to see it finally come to fruition.
Photos: VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies
Tags: Biotechnology, Health, Modern Medicine
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