SYLMAR, Calif.—Second Sight Medical Products announced that a five-year study of patients who have the Argus II artificial retina implant has yielded positive results.

The study follows the assessment of 30 subjects in a clinical trial who have been implanted with the Argus II in 10 centers throughout the U.S. and Europe. All patients were blind from retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or similar disorders. Throughout five years of clinical study, results showed that patients’ visual function improved after implantation with the Argus II and these improvements were sustained over five years.

Patients reported that using Argus II had a positive impact on their wellbeing, including a renewed connection with loved ones and the world around them. Results also demonstrated that the Argus II had an acceptable safety profile.

“For patients with RP who are living in darkness, the long-term benefits of the Argus II in restoring some useful vision represents a very meaningful milestone," said Lyndon da Cruz, MD, PhD, consultant retinal surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and lead author for the study.

“Perhaps most exciting is the proven ability of the Argus II to increase patients’ functional vision. With the Argus II, patients can perform tasks that would not be possible without the device. This can be a life-altering change. It is good that we have now shown that these changes last for many years after implantation.”

Earlier results from this trial were used to gain FDA approval of the Argus II in addition to CE Mark in Europe. To date, over 200 patients have been treated with the Argus II, according to Second Sight.

The Argus II captures images on an eyeglass-mounted miniature video camera, converts the images to electrical pulses and then transmits those pulses wirelessly to electrodes implanted on the retinal surface, bypassing defunct retinal cells and stimulating the viable retinal cells in patients with severe to profound RP.