As the Foundation reported back in February, the Argus II retinal prosthesis, developed by Second Sight Medical Products, received marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

For those of us on the front lines of fighting blindness — whether we’re raising funds, conducting  research or stand to personally benefit from the results — the device’s approval is one of the most exciting milestones in vision restoration ever achieved.

The Argus II provides only rudimentary vision; users have recognized doorways, sidewalks, flatware on a table and lights on a city skyline. But the device is enabling people who were completely blind to see. That translates into improved mobility, independence and quality of life

The Argus II’s ability to restore some basic vision is remarkable, but people want to see much more of the world — faces of loved ones, text on a computer screen, paintings in museums and so on. A device that provides the ability to perceive more detail will not only help those without any eyesight; it will also benefit many people with varying degrees of vision loss.

Developing such a device is the next challenge for companies like Second Sight. While the Argus II is equipped with a 60-electrode, or –pixel, chip implanted in the retina, the California-based company plans to develop a 256-electrode prosthesis. But it is still several years away from making it available.

There are several other companies in the artificial retina arena, with Retina Implant AG, of Germany, being the furthest along. Its device, the Alpha IMS, is a 1,500-pixel chip and, unlike the Argus II, does not require an external video camera. Approximately 36 people have used the Alpha IMS in clinical trials. Some have recognized objects, such as doorknobs and telephones. One person saw the movements of a wild goose. Another read store signs.

The company’s clinical trial is underway in Germany, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, and it is planning to extend the study to Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia. Retina Implant AG is working to overcome some technical and surgical challenges, and has not indicated when they expect to apply for regulatory approval in the United States or Europe.

A research group from Stanford University is developing a 5,000-pixel system known as the Photovoltaic Retinal Prosthesis, which it believes will provide more detailed vision than the alternatives. The group is hoping to launch a clinical trial within two years. With this device, images are captured by a tiny video camera mounted on a pair of glasses and converted to near-infrared (NIR) light. The NIR beam is routed to multiple one-millimeter chips implanted underneath the recipient’s retina and converted to electrical signals that are sent back to the brain through the optic nerve.

Other groups developing artificial retinas include: Bionic Vision Australia, Nano Retina in Israel, the Boston Retina Implant Project and several organizations in Japan. This is an active and innovative field, though developing this cutting-edge technology is no small feat. Stay tuned — I’ll report on the progress of these efforts as it is made.

Editor’s note: The photos above, which appeared in the spring 2013 issue of In Focus, the Foundation’s newsletter, were incorrectly described as being Second Sight’s Argus II device. They are Retina Implant AG’s Alpha IMS.

Photos provided by Retina Implant AG