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Implantable Eye Telescope Finally FDA Approved
kkleiner writes "A telescopic implant that fits directly into the eye to treat certain kinds of blindness has finally received FDA approval for use in the US after more than five years of waiting. The Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT) is used to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that affects millions around the world. For many, the center part of their vision becomes blurred or completely dark. The IMT is surgically implanted into the cornea and acts to expand an incoming image onto the peripheral parts of the retina that are undamaged by AMD. The commercial version of the IMT is called CentraSight and is in development by VisionCare Inc. There are likely hundreds of thousands of potential patients in the US alone who may be able to have their vision partially restored now that CentraSight has garnered FDA approval."
Apparently, all it would do is give you a fish eye bubble in the center of your vision. This is definitely not something that a person with normal vision wants. It's a 'better than nothing' option for people going blind.
That person would see much the same as the patients with AMD. That is to say a loss of vision in the central region of your visual range (in the case of a non-AMD person: because the telescope is in the way, if nothing else), and all vision that -would- have fallen into the central region instead being expanded out toward the outer regions, essentially giving you a ring or donut shaped view of the world.
The article also mentions that if the person with AMD still has a good eye as well, that eye would be left untreated to provide for peripheral vision. That implies that with the device, peripheral vision would also be, to an extent, lost.
It would make a normal person's vision worse.
Macular degeneration results in a blank spot in the centre of your vision. This thing works by routing around that blank spot to sections of the retina which are unobstructed. It sacrifices some visual acuity to allow a full field of vision.
upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
The ad in question
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
Hmmm, sure he's the one that should get out? I suspect you're thinking of the wrong SF series.
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