FDA Approves The Argus II, Helps The Blind See

The Argus II, an artificial retina device that helps blind people see, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, The New York Times reports.

The Argus II takes the form of a sheet of electrodes placed in the damaged eye. Patients wear glasses with a camera and video processor, which trigger the electrodes and send signals to the brain, helping patients detect outlines of objects and identify contrasts in light.

The Argus II was designed by Dr. Mark S. Humayun over the course of 20 years and built by Second Sight Medical Products. It is directed at patients with retinitis pigmentosa, or the deterioation of photoreceptor cells, which afflicts approximately 100,000 Americans. Second Sight's mission statement reads, "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," according to the company's official website. The Argus II derives its name from the Greek mythological character Argus, who had 100 eyes.

The device will cost about $150,000, not including surgery and training.—Hal Sundt