VisionCare’s FDA Approved Telescope Gets Implanted

VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc. is a privately-held company that researches, develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary implantable ophthalmic devices and technologies that are intended to significantly improve vision and quality of life for individuals with untreatable retinal disorders. In 2010, the FDA approved VisionCare’s most recent development by Dr. Isaac Lipshitz, the Implantable Miniature Telescope platform – the world’s smallest telescope.

The Company just announced that the first patient has received the Implantable Miniature Telescope operation indicated to improve vision in patients with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The platform is based on wide-angle micro-optics that creates a telephoto system that magnifies objects in view. VisionCare also holds a CE mark and Israel Ministry of Health approval for distribution and sale of the device.

“Our patient’s procedure is a milestone that brings new hope and a first treatment option for our most visually debilitated AMD patients,” said Dr. Hudson, who was a principal investigator in the pivotal trial for FDA approval and lead author of the trial outcomes publications. “Patients with end-stage AMD have been underserved, and they have had limited options until now. Our patients who have exhausted all wet AMD treatment options, or who have the untreatable, advanced form of dry AMD, now have a potential for improved vision and quality of life. We’re talking more than just seeing better on the eye chart, but about being more independent in their daily activities and reconnecting with their social network of friends, family, and their community.”

How The Procedure Works

The telescope implant is surgically placed in the capsular bag after removal of the eye’s lens. Implantation inside the eye allows the patient to see using natural eye movements in both stationary and dynamic environments. By leveraging the healthy areas of the patient’s eye, the light that enters the telescope gets magnified about 2.5 times and projected onto the portion of the retina unaffected by macular degeneration.

CentraSight Treatment Program

The first-of-kind telescope implant is essential to a new patient care program, CentraSight, for treating patients with end-stage macular degeneration. The program involves a patient management process and access to reimbursement resources for patients and physicians. The procedure is performed by a specially trained ophthalmic surgeon as an outpatient procedure.

About AMD

About 8 million people in the United States are currently diagnosed with AMD. People suffering from the disease typically experience a small blind spot in the middle of their field of view, only causing hindrance to things like reading or watching television. However, In the advanced stage of AMD, the blindness eventually expands outward to obstruct one’s ability to see completely. At least 2 million Americans currently suffer from the advanced stage.

VisionCare will be presenting its products and technologies at OneMedForum SF 2012, on January 9 – 12.