Telescopic eye implant approved by the FDA

Written by

in

We love eye implants, and we’ve seen our share of them, and this one is pretty sweet (although it isn’t the creepiest by a long shot — that prize would go to the one that uses a human tooth to hold its lens). In the works for well over a year, and approved by the FDA a couple days ago, VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies’ implantable miniature telescope is intended for patients over 75 years of age who are suffering from end-stage macular degeneration. As with any tricky new surgery, this one is not without risks, including the need for a corneal transplant due to the device’s size. According to CBC News, in clinical testing seventy-five percent of over 200 patients “had their vision improve from severe or profound impairment to moderate impairment,” and there are two more studies on the way: one will follow up with existing patients, while the other will outfit 770 new patients with the device. The cost? $15,000.

Telescopic eye implant approved by the FDA originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceCBC News  | Email this | Comments

Comments

Leave a Reply