Argus II Study Sees Positive Results

Sylmar, Calif.-based Second Sight Medical Products, which develops implantable visual prosthetics, has detailed published results of a positive three-year FLORA study for the Argus II retinal prosthesis system.

Published in the Australian journal Clinical and Experimental Optometry, the study examined the functional visual abilities of 26 blind patients and how they use the Argus II to complete a series of daily tasks.

According to Second Sight, 24 of 35 tasks, or 69 percent, showed a statistically significant improvement in outcomes with the device being on versus being turned off. Two tasks showed a decrease in outcome, while nine showed no significant change.

The Argus II induces visual perception in blind individuals with retinitis pigmentosa by providing electrical pulses to stimulate the retina's remaining cells.

Second Sight is eyeing future improvements to the system, including hardware enhancements and software upgrades. — Elizabeth Hollis