Bionic Eye Implant Approved to Help Regain Sight Lost to Disease
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Adults going blind because of a rare eye disease may regain the ability to do daily tasks, such as navigating a sidewalk or detecting sunlight, from the first implanted artificial retina to win U.S. regulatory approval.
Closely held Second Sight Medical Products Inc., whose chairman is the billionaire inventor Alfred E. Mann, received Food and Drug Administration clearance for its Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, the agency said yesterday in a statement. Argus II helps adults with advanced retinitis pigmentosa, which damages light-sensitive cells that line the retina, causing a gradual loss of vision that may lead to blindness.