In a test on ten patients with retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disease involving retinal degeneration, vision improved significantly.

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Mr. Isacoff says technologies of this type could one day treat blinding diseases in humans such as retinitis pigmentosa.

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Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic disease that causes people to slowly lose their eyesight as time goes on and eventually become blind.

FORBES: Second Test Of Retinal Implant Shows Restored Vision To The Blind

Unbeknownst to them, he had what is known as Usher Syndrome, which also causes gradual blindness due to Retinitis Pigmentosa starting at birth.

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The chip contains 1500 pixels replacing the light-receiving cells that have died in retinitis pigmentosa patients by receiving external light and then transmitting those signals directly to the brain.

FORBES: Second Test Of Retinal Implant Shows Restored Vision To The Blind

In their study, the researchers used mammalian retinas with a degeneration of photoreceptors in order to have an experimental model of different degenerative pathologies of the retina, such as Retinitis Pigmentosa or macular degeneration.

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Those in the US suffering from blindness due to retinis pigmentosa (RP) will now be able to regain some vision bionically for the first time ever, thanks to Second Sight's Argus II retinal prosthesis.

ENGADGET

Argus II is intended to provide electrical stimulation of the retina to induce visual perception in blind individuals with retinitis pigmentosa and has the capacity to offer life-changing visual capabilities to those currently unable to see anything except, at best, extremely bright lights.

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