|Issue 14.02 - February 2006
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Not all telescopes are for gazing at stars - or into your neighbors' bedrooms. A Silicon Valley company has developed one for inserting into human eyes to counteract macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the US.
The Implantable Miniature Telescope helps patients whose macula - which sits at the back of the eye and serves as a gateway to the optic nerve - has become damaged with age, creating a blind spot in the middle of their field of vision. The implant takes the image that would appear in this area and magnifies it up to three times, spreading it across the broader retina. While this doesn't completely eliminate the blind spot, it does enable patients to recognize objects directly in front of them.
The device has completed clinical trials, and its maker, VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, expects it to be widely available later this year. Though it sounds simple, it isn't a quick fix: The IMT reduces peripheral vision, so patients must train themselves to use their other eye to compensate (or they'll end up walking into walls). On the other hand, as a physician involved with the clinical trials points out, the device does give recipients a real gleam in their eye. - Erin Biba