CBS News is reporting that a implanted artificial retina has been approved by European health officials.
The device is offering partial sight to people who have become blind due to the condition retinitis pigmentosa.
The report describes how a man who had lost his sight completely at age 35 is now able to make out shapes and outlines. As described by CBS: “The device starts with a tiny video camera mounted in a pair of glasses. A transmitter in the glasses sends the images to chip implanted on the back of the damaged eye. There, 60 electrodes send the image along the optic nerve straight to the brain.”
Sometimes those bits of wisdom that “everybody knows” just have to be true. In this case, yes, carrots really are good for your eyes.
A report at the recent American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) – Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting described how beta carotene can help people with retinitis pigmentosa.
Image via maine.gov
Retinitis pigmentosa is a hereditary disease most often marked by the onset of nightblindness during childhood that eventually leads to a loss of peripheral and eventually in many cases blindness. Previous research has shown beta carotene, 9-cis, can help treat night blindness. In this study, one third of the retinitis pigmentosa patients under observation showed improved visual function after taking a beta carotene supplement for 90 days. Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204979.php
MicroCurrent Stimulation (MCS) is an enhanced adaptation of a FDA approved therapy used by anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons and rehabilitative specialists to promote the healing of wounds and transplanted tissues as well as to treat pain.
The theory is that MCS helps
re-stimulate and energize dormant retinal cells (cells are like batteries — when they run low in energy, they become sluggish and dormant),
boost the cells’ ability to rid themselves of waste products which interferes with the flow of energy, nutrients and communication,
increase blood supply to the area stimulated. By increasing blood flow to the area, cells and tissues still living can get nourished and refreshed.
Research suggests that microcurrent electrical stimulation device approximates the level of electrical activity present in a healthy eye, resulting in stimulating retinal activity and energizing dormant cells, as well as improving microvascular circulation, nerve conduction and velocity.
Microcurrent stimulation increases ATP (energy) synthesis in the retinal cells needed for membrane viability and waste management (a major concern for those with dry macular degeneration as excess waste not reabsorbed and eliminated results in waste accumulation called “drusen”).
Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa are treated with very precise amounts of tightly controlled electrical current through electrodes applied to the skin at specific areas around the eye. The electrical current is used to stimulate the retina as well as the diseased macula in order to help protect sight. The procedure is safe, noninvasive, and painless and no side effects or adverse reactions have been observed.
For more about MicroCurrent Stimulation, click here.
Retinitis Pigmentosa (pigmentosis) is a progressive degenerative disorder of the retina that can cause a profound loss of vision. The typical symptoms include decreased night vision and peripheral vision, usually starting in the first or second decade of life.
A 2006 study found that high doses of antioxidants (vitamins E, C, alpha lipoic acid others) significantly reduced oxidative damage in cones, increased cone cell density and preserved cone function. These results, according to the Johns Hopkins authors, suggest that the gradual cone death that occurs after rod cells die is due to oxidative damage, and that antioxidants could provide benefit those suffering from Retinitis Pigmentosa.
A small study by Japanese researchers demonstrates an increased blood supply to the retina upon stimulation of certain acupuncture points. Needles were inserted near the posterior base of the thumbs of volunteers while investigators used a laser to scan the retinal blood flow. Both volume and velocity increased in these patients. The work was done at the ophthalmology department at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.
Reported by Dr. Kazuhiko Mori at the annual meeting of the Association for Vision and Ophthalmology in Fort Lauderdale this past May.
Scientists through the US Department of Energy are testing artificial retinas that they hope can restore partial sight to people who’ve lost their vision to the most common causes of blindness.
The Sylmar, Calif., company produced the devices for the U.S. Energy Department’s Artificial Retina Project. The department has been engaged in biological research since the atomic bomb tests of the 1950s raised fears of radiation poisoning.
The current version is being tested on 17 blind people in the U.S. and Europe, and more patients are being enrolled. At a retina conference in October, patients reported improvements in orientation and mobility. They were able to find a door from 20 feet away and to follow a line on the floor for 20 feet.
Meanwhile, researchers in the Energy Department’s National Laboratories are creating a third-generation artificial retina. Much smaller than its predecessors, the device will contain 200 or more electrodes on a thin, flexible film that curves to fit the shape of the retina. Human tests are scheduled to begin in 2011.
For more information and specific research studies by eye condition including nutrition and vision research, go to <a href=”http://www.naturaleyecare.com”>Natural Eye Care </a>
Scientists through the US Department of Energy are testing artificial retinas that they hope can restore partial sight to people who’ve lost their vision to the most common causes of blindness.
The Sylmar, Calif., company produced the devices for the U.S. Energy Department’s Artificial Retina Project. The department has been engaged in biological research since the atomic bomb tests of the 1950s raised fears of radiation poisoning.
The current version is being tested on 17 blind people in the U.S. and Europe, and more patients are being enrolled. At a retina conference in October, patients reported improvements in orientation and mobility. They were able to find a door from 20 feet away and to follow a line on the floor for 20 feet, Mech reported.
Meanwhile, researchers in the Energy Department’s National Laboratories are creating a third-generation artificial retina. Much smaller than its predecessors, the device will contain 200 or more electrodes on a thin, flexible film that curves to fit the shape of the retina. Human tests are scheduled to begin in 2011.
In a 48-week intervention trial, researchers tested Lutein supplementation
for vision protective-function in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The conclusion of the study was as follows: “Comparing the development of vision measures against the natural loss expected to occur over the course of the 48 weeks, most measures showed reduced decline, and these reductions were significant for normal illumination”.
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