Medical News Today -- Retina Implant, AG, a leading developer of electronic implants to treat blindness, today announced successful results from the company’s first human clinical trial. The company is now setting up a UK trial of the implant. The results achieved in the 11 patients involved in the preliminary study far exceeded the company’s expectations. In fact, some patients were able to see objects and shapes clearly enough to read large letters and recognize words. Although other companies have developed retinal implants, until now the technology facilitated the ability to see light and outlines of objects, but did not produce a level of sight that enabled patients to read. Retina Implant’s clinical trial began in Germany in 2005 and has involved 11 patients who lost their sight due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The UK clinical trial will be led by Professor Robert MacLaren, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford and a consultant retinal surgeon at the Oxford Eye Hospital and includes Mr Tim Jackson, a consultant retinal surgeon at King’s College Hospital in London.
