Albrecht von Graefe Lecture at the 27th International Congress of German Ophthalmic Surgeons (DOC) to Honour Retinal Prosthesis Pioneer

NUREMBERG, Germany, May 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Prof Mark S. Humayun delivers the honorary lecture: With Argus^® II, retinal prostheses are a reality, outlining best achieved vision in 30 implanted patients after 5 years 

Die Innovator's Lecture or Albrecht-von-Graefe Lecture is one of the highlights of the International Congress of German Ophthalmic Surgeons (DOC) and an invitation to attend is a great distinction for ophthalmologists. This year, Prof Mark S. Humayun will give the honorary lecture titled "Bioelectronic Vision - a Clinical Reality" and elaborate on the efforts to develop retinal prostheses, spanning more than 20 years and preliminarily culminating in the marketing authorization for Argus II. 

Mark S. Humayun was among the first scientists to no longer accept that patients with retinitis pigmentosa eventually become blind. As one of the leading biomedical technology experts for cell and neurobiology, he very early recognised the possibility to use a prosthesis to bypass dead retinal cells. Since the beginning of the 1980s, Humayun's research into retinal prostheses has contributed significantly to the development in this field.

Together with Dr Robert Greenberg, the President and CEO of Second Sight, he pioneered the "bionic eye" for patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and other degenerative retinal diseases. Dr Greenberg as an engineer was primarily responsible for the development of the hardware. Prof Humayun's contribution as a medical specialist was to ensure that the retinal chip was perfectly designed to be implanted into the human eye.

"In the early 1980s, we took on the task of shifting the boundaries of what medicine can do for patients with retinitis pigmentosa and other degenerative retinal diseases and bring back some degree of vision to those affected," said Prof Humayun, describing the early stage of Argus II's development. "We are delighted to see that our work is no longer experimental. Argus II is the first product to be approved in Europe and the United States - and to become a clinical reality. Today, we can bring back functional vision to patients diagnosed with RP - and this helps patients a great deal to manage their daily lives more independently."

Best achieved vision is 20/1260 (0.02-1.8 LogMAR) 

In his lecture, Prof Humayun presented the latest data from a long-term study following-up 30 Argus II patients over up to 60 months. The average vision of the 30 patients with retinal implants participating in the study improved from sensing light to recognizing hand movements and some even advanced to being able to count fingers, read, and more. The best vision achieved so far is 20/1260 (0.02-1.8 LogMAR)

Today, more than 80 patients worldwide are enjoying the benefits of the first approved retinal prosthesis system. Blind users of Argus II have experienced dramatic improvements in performing their daily activities, including, for example: locating everyday items, identifying objects at various distances, crossing the road independently by being able to recognize pedestrian crossings, avoiding obstructions while walking, and avoiding drooping branches and other obstacles at head height.

The only commercially available retinal implant with update option 

Since having been granted CE mark approval in 2011, the Argus II has continuously been developed further. Improvements to the solution, which comprises a camera with glasses and a video processing system, have enabled patients to see the contours of the image perceived at approx. 20° visual field more clearly, enabling them to better recognise them. The camera and video processing system are not implanted into the eye. Thus, the Argus II is the one and only retinal implant allowing patients to benefit from technological advances based on hardware and software updates without the need for further surgery.

Ophthalmologists and patients who like to learn more about eligibility criteria and the benefits for the patient can contact [email protected].

About Retinitis Pigmentosa 

RP is a rare, hereditary disease that causes a progressive degeneration of the light-sensitive cells of the retina, leading to significant visual impairment and ultimately blindness. There are an estimated 1.2 million people worldwide with RP. Second Sight's Argus II System employs electrical stimulation to bypass the defunct cells and stimulate remaining viable retinal cells inducing visual perception in blind individuals. The Argus II is the first artificial retina to receive approval in Europe (CE Mark) and in the USA.

About Argus II 

The Argus II System works by converting video images captured by a miniature camera housed in the patient's glasses into a series of small electrical pulses that are transmitted wirelessly to an array of electrodes on the surface of the retina. These pulses are intended to stimulate the retina's remaining cells resulting in the corresponding perception of patterns of light in the brain. The patient then learns to interpret these visual patterns thereby regaining some visual function. Argus II has CE approval since 2011 and FDA approval since 2013.

About Second Sight 

Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., located in Los Angeles, California, was founded in 1998 to create a retinal prosthesis to provide sight to patients blinded from outer retinal degenerations such as RP. Through dedication and innovation, Second Sight's mission is to develop, manufacture and market implantable visual prosthetics to enable blind individuals to achieve greater independence. U.S. Headquarters are in Sylmar, CA, and European Headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland. For more information, visit http://www.2-sight.com.

Media Contact
Amanda Hayhurst,
Gloucester Road Communications,
Tel.: +44(0)772-0205581
[email protected]

Second Sight Medical Products
Gregoire Cosendai, PhD
Vice President - Europe
Tel.: +41-21-693-91-51
[email protected]

SOURCE Second Sights Medical