health & wellness

Artificial Vision

meeting in Detroit brings experts together to share.

International

I

Ruthan

Brodsky

Xjllent

Writer

Contributing

patients, which includes surgically implant­
ing the chip onto the retina:' Zacks said.

GluSense

than 30 experts on artificial
gathered in Detroit last

More

best

vision

taining

Eye and the
Chip:'
They were there to report to their peers

I.nnl'

from many eye conditions, diseases and

According to the National Federation

of the Blind, 50,000 people in the United
States go blind annually.

"This is thefirst generation of the device,
which is constantly being tweaked by

by the Detroit Institute

researchers:' Zacks said.

of Ophthalmology,

Nano Retina's

implant is powered by

day congress focused on identifying the
progress made that will ultimately enable

devices

to

be

Raanan Gefen,

"This semi-annual

retina

patients will benefit from

.

prosthetic

devices

Dr. David

neuro-

Goldman

and where the interface

will be best

targeted

for

different patients, the eye or the brain:'
says Dr. David J. Goldman, DIO associate

medical director. "The

discussions also

presentations

and

explored the complexities

of implanting these devices while also gen­
erating an appreciation for the Food and

Drug Association's (FDA)

role in requiring

safe and effective medical devices:'

The event included

presentations

fol­

managing

commonly identi­

fied

as the bionic eye.
"In the past, there
was no treatment for

amalgama­

tion of global ideas and

thought processes geared
toward identifying which

eye-safe

progress the company is
making on the artificial

blind.

was an

an

director, described the

placed in the eye or the brain
of those who are severely

event

Ra'anan Gefen

those blinded

by retinal

degeneration diseases
using seeing eye dogs and white
canes:' Gefen said. "Today, the first artifi­
cial retina prosthesis, Argus II, is available

other than

in the U.S. and

retinitis

Europe for

treatment

of

pigmentosa patients.

the Bio- Retina,

"Our retina

prosthesis,
designed to transform sight restora­
tion for the blind. It can be implanted in 30
minutes in a minimally invasive procedure
similar to cataract treatment, as opposed to
the four-hour general surgery requiring full

is also

anesthesia for the

Argus

II. Moreover, the

lowed by discussion, debate and rebuttal.
"Presenters were aware they couldn't

Nano Retina bionic eye delivers 576 pixels,
10 times more than the Argus II, which

attend this event with weak concept proof:'
Goldman says. "This resulted in an atmo­

restores vision to the functional level for

sphere

of collegiality that fostered collabo­

the

based

process of turning the concept of artificial
vision Into reality. Many presenters, for

invented

example,

already partnered

with other

presenters for further research and busi­
ness opportunities from this event:'

Israeli Bionic Eye

Creating an artificial retina prosthesis is
goal of Nano Retina Inc., an Israeli
company located in Herzliya Pituach.

the

74 January

29

•

2015

neur,

Aviv

on

is the

premier meeting in the world for
this small niche in oph­

thalmology:' says Dr.

Michael Ober,

on

at Beaumont and

staff

Henry

Ford Health systems.
"It brings together

experts using different
techniques from all over

Dr. Michael

the world into

ball movement.

Ober

dedicated to

Argus II
Also attending the conference was Dr.
Robert Greenberg, CEO and president of
Second Sight Corporation in California,
the company that designed and developed
the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System.
The Argus II enables some patients, blind

on the
eye focused on
the cornea, and the results were contact
lenses and corneal transplants. Research on

one room

tackling a

problem:'

from diseases such

as

retinitis

pigmentosa,

visual tasks such

as
perform
identifying
sidewalks.
and
following
doorways
"The Kellogg Eye Center, University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor,

to

was aware

on

of the research

Argus II

and

stayed in

touch with the company
for over more than 15

established in 2009,
several of the medical devices

by Israeli Yossi Gross, entrepre­
inventor and engineer. Today, Tel

University,

"The

"The current generation, which has already
begun production, is planned for human
clinical trials in two years and hopeful FDA
approval:'
With Bio-Retina, a rechargeable, battery­
powered mini laser, situated on a pair of
eyeglasses, efficiently powers the implant
wirelessly. Bio- Retina is designed to work
harmoniously with the natural functions of
the eye, including pupil dilation and eye­

was

Massachusetts General

Hospital in Boston and Mount Sinai
Hospital in New York, together with indus­
trial corporations, are working with Nano
Retina to help fabricate the product.
"The first generation of our implant,
designed to verify the concept, was suc­
cessfully tested on animals:' Gefen said.

Experts Collaborate
Eye and the Chip world congress

laser in the glasses.

patient:'

Nano Retina

ration and tended to accelerate the whole

have

small computer worn

glasses that transmits the signals wire­
lessly to the implant. The implant sends
electrical impulses to the brain, causing
the patient to perceive patterns of light.
The device looks like sunglasses with a
wire at the side. Once the device is in place,
patients can't recognize a face, but they can
see contrast and the edge of shape.

injuries.

Department of
(DIO),
Henry Ford Health
Ophthalmology
Pointe
in
Grosse
Park, the three­
System

camera, a

the

artificial vision

Hosted

Argus II, patients wear glasses con­

a

on a

the most recent advances in nanoelectron­

neurobiology relative to providing
to people who are blind

the device:'

belt that processes the signals from
the camera and an antenna on the side of

research congress titled "The

ics and

use

With

fall from the United States,
Asia, Australia and Israel for a

Europe,

"The surgery is then followed by much
rehab and physical therapy so patients can

complicated because the
retina is more complicated. For instance,

the retina is

there

are

more

morethan 1 million

axons

that

lead from the eye to the brain that need to
be connected for vision.

The retina is the

light -sensitive layer

of tissue at the back of the inner eye that
works like the film in a camera. Images

come

through the eyes lens and focus on

the retina, which converts these images
to electric signals and sends them via the

optic nerve

to the brain. The retina also has

many different

layers, each with its own

years until the device
received FDA approval:'

functions.

said Dr. David N. Zacks,

else in the world and, although it doesn't
receive a lot of press, it is a big deal in the

Kellogg associate pro­
fessor, ophthalmology.
Zacks
"Once it was approved,
we rushed to acquire one of the Argus II
devices to use with our severely vision­
impaired patients.
"We've implanted the Argus II in four

Dr. David

Previous research

"No

meeting like this is held anywhere

ophthalmic world and for people who have
profound vision loss:' Ober said. "Although
they can't be helped at this time, there
is much hope that some vision will be
restored eventually:' D

.