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The publication “Artificial Vision with Wirelessly Powered Subretinal Electronic Implant Alpha IMS” by Stingl K. et al. Proceedings of Royal Society B (2013), published online Feb 20, 2013, describes the functional results in 9 patients, blind from retinitis pigmentosa, who have received a subretinal electronic implant Alpha IMS (Retina Implant AG) in the first monocentre phase of a clinical trial at the Center of Ophthalmology in Tübingen, Germany. The design of the device and the clinical trial is based on a previous pilot study (E. Zrenner et al. Proc. Biol. Sci. 2011, 278: 1489-97). The recent publication describes several novel findings, seen in individual patients:
The ongoing study became multicentre in 2012 with 16 more patients successfully receiving an implant in Oxford, London, Tübingen, Hong Kong and other centres, with similar results. Not every patient benefits equally as the state of disease is quite variable but all but one patient reported perception of light and most can localize objects. Observation time is up to 15 months so far. Preparations have been made to extend the study to the United States.
Artificial vision with wirelessly powered subretinal electronic implant alpha-IMS. Stingl K, Bartz-Schmidt KU, Besch D, Braun A, Bruckmann A, Gekeler F, Greppmaier U, Hipp S, Hörtdörfer G, Kernstock C, Koitschev A, Kusnyerik A, Sachs H, Schatz A, Stingl KT, Peters T, Wilhelm B, Zrenner E. Proc Biol Sci. 2013 Feb 20;280(1757):20130077. Print 2013.
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/280/1757/20130077