Excerpt
The FDA says it has approved the use of micro-sized implantable telescopes to improve vision in patients with end-stage, age-related macular degeneration.
The tiny device, called an Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT), is designed to replace the natural lens. It provides an image that has been magnified more than two times, the FDA says in a news release.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a condition that affects older people. It damages the center of the retina, or macula, and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field. There are two forms of AMD, a wet form and a dry form.
About 8 million people in the U.S. suffer from this condition, and nearly 2 million of them already have significant loss of vision. The device is intended for patients 75 and older with severe to profound vision impairment that has been stable over time due to blind spots from end-stage AMD.
"This innovation has the potential to provide many people with an improved quality of life," Jeffrey Shuren, MD, JD, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, says in the news release.
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