The system consists of a small photovoltaic chip (similar to a solar panel) that is surgically implanted beneath the retina, and specially designed goggles equipped with a microprocessor and miniature camera. The output of the camera is displayed on a miniature LCD screen, located on the inside surface of the goggles. The screen then beams the images displayed as pulses of infra-red laser light to to photodiodes on the chip implanted in the retina, which will then send those images to the brain.

As Dr. Palanker summed up the technology: “It works like the solar panels on your roof, converting light into electric current. But instead of the current flowing to your refrigerator, it flows into your retina.”

So far the technology has been tested in rats, but the team is looking for a sponsor for human trials.

The Stanford technology differs from other retinal prosthesis technologies such as the Argus™ II Retinal Prosthesis System offered by Second Sight in that those other technologies involve more in the way of hardware such as coils or antennas being implanted in the eye, while the technology used in the light-based Stanford system is primarily located in the goggles.

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Ten subjects will be enrolled to receive 150 mg Canakinumab (ILARIS®) by subcutaneous injection. Beginning on day 0, each subject will receive a subcutaneous injection of study drug every 8 weeks for 16 weeks, a total of 3 injections. All subjects will undergo regular follow-up assessments every 8 weeks through 24 weeks. Fluorescein angiography (FA) will be repeated every 8 weeks. The primary outcome being sought is the regression of retinal neovascularizations by week 24.

Key secondary outcomes sought include regression of diabetic macular edema, and change in best-corrected visual acuity.

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Bascom Palmer, one of the country’s premier eye institutes, joins UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute and the Wills Eye Institute as the third U.S. site participating in the company’s Phase I/II clinical trials.

The Phase I/II trial is a prospective, open-label study designed to determine the safety and tolerability of the hESC-derived RPE cells following sub-retinal transplantation into patients with dry AMD. The trial will ultimately enroll 12 patients, with cohorts of three patients each in an ascending dosage format.

Click here to learn more about patient eligibility to participate in the trials.

To read more about the trials, please follow this link.

Large full thickness, 700 microns, extensive surrounding subretinal fluid, yellow deposits on RPE within hole, mild epiretinal membrane.

My question is would you recommend gas or silicone oil to treat the macular hole?

Dr. Rose, a renowned expert on retinal research, comments on the latest news, provides useful information in easy-to-understand language and connects readers with valuable resources, including those provided by the Foundation.

Founded in 1971, FFB has raised more than $450 million for research intended to eradicate retinal degenerations, such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, affecting more than 10 million Americans.

The company then announced that it had received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a Phase I/II clinical trial of the company’s proprietary HuCNS-SCr product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common form of AMD.

We believe that at least one of the sites for the clinical trial will be the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health and Science University.

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The results have been published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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The trial is aimed at patients with Usher Syndrome Type 1B, a form or retinitis pigmentosa that leads to blindness and hearing loss.

There is currently no treatment for this disease.

Based on laboratory pre-clinical studies, the researchers believe that a single UshStat treatment may last for several years, and perhaps for a lifetime.

In addition, Oxford BioMedica issued an update on all of its ophthalmic gene therapy programs, as part of its year-end report.

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In the January 2012 issue of the International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, Japanese researchers from the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, reported on the results of their study to develop a microsurgical robot for vitreoretinal surgery. The goal was to demonstrate that robotics may improve vitreoretinal surgery by steadying hand motion, thereby reducing negative outcomes.

The device consisted of a slave manipulator with a tool change mechanism for switching surgical instruments. The slave manipulator is controlled by the surgeon using a master manipulator consisting of multiple joints.

The robotic system was used by a surgeon to successfully perform microcannulation on a pig’s eye.

Researchers reported that the microsurgical robotic vitreoretinal surgical system showed superior operability compared with a traditional manual procedure, and it demonstrated sufficient potential to warrant further testing in animal trials to assess its clinical feasibility.

Click here to read the abstract.