The rapidly aging population of the United States as the Baby Boomers reach their golden years doesn’t bode well for our collective vision: 30 percent of Americans over age 75 suffer from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common condition that causes the retina to degrade and decay, resulting in partial blindness. But after five years of deliberation, the FDA has approved the first implantable miniature telescope (IMT) that fits directly into the eye to correct the effects of AMD.
Those effects are pretty serious; as the retina degenerates, the center part of a person’s vision grows blurry or completely dark. The IMT corrects this by expanding an incoming image onto the peripheral parts of the retina that are still in good health. Once implanted directly into the cornea, the device makes use of the remaining working retina cells to produce a donut-like image that users can see.
Full story: FDA Approves First Telescopic Eye Implant to Treat Blindness – Popular Science
