Manmade Retina Could Restore Vision to Millions

The Photovoltaic Retinal Prothesis system (Graphic: Palanker Lab at Stanford University)

A new prosthetic retina could restore eyesight to millions of people suffering from a common cause of blindness – age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Usually affecting people over 50, AMD causes a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the macula, or macula lutea) due to damage to the retina. This condition can occur in “dry” – central geographic atrophy – and “wet” – neovascular or exudative forms.

For those afflicted with AMD, it can be difficult or even impossible to read or recognize faces. However, in most cases, sufferers retain enough peripheral vision to allow for other activities of daily life.

AMD ranks third worldwide as a cause of blindness, behind cataract and glaucoma, and is the primary cause of sight loss in industrialized countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).