Electronic implants to treat blindness have shown successful results in a clinical trial, carried out in Germany, involving 11 patients who had lost their sight due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
The results exceeded expectations and some patients were even able to see objects and shapes clearly enough to read large letters and recognise words. Until now, the technology facilitated the ability to see light and outlines of objects, but did not produce a level of sight that enabled patients to read. The developer of the technology, Retina Implant, is now setting up a trial in the UK, led by Prof. Robert MacLaren, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Oxford, and will include Tim Jackson, a consultant retinal surgeon at King’s College Hospital in London.
