Researchers have developed a device using platinum electrodes that has improved vision for sufferers of degenerative eye conditions.

After treatment with the device, which has been developed by a team from Doheny Eye Institute overseen by Douglas Yanai, three patients who suffered from retinitis pigmentosa were able to perform basic visual tasks.

The improvement was enabled thanks to treatment with a epireitnal prosthesis which uses platinum electrodes attached to the epiretinal surface and is either operated by a video camera mounted on the patients' head or is radio controlled via a computer connection.

Once implanted in one of the patients' eyes, the subjects tested showed a "significantly better than chance" score in 83 per cent of the tests.

Broken down further, it was revealed that patients scored 77 per cent to 100 per cent when tasked with finding and counting objects, 50 per cent to 77 per cent for noting the direction a letter 'L' was pointing, 63 per cent to 73 per cent for differentiating between three different objects and between 40 per and 90 per cent for determining the direction in which a moving object was travelling.

Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited disorder which can lead to gradual loss of vision, with those afflicted initially having their ability to see at night and peripheral vision impaired, while in advanced cases sufferers experience loss of central vision.

Sources:

Retinal prosthesis improved vision in three retinitis pigmentosa patients, 24/04/07
http://www.osnsupersite.com/view.asp?rID=21587

Visual Performance Using a Retinal Prosethsis in Three Subjects With Retinitis Pigmentosa, 14/01/07
http://www.ajo.com/article/PIIS0002939407000670/abstract  

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