Implantable Miniature TelescopeTM -P050034

This summer the Food and Drug Administration approved the market of an implantable miniature telescope produced by VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies. This device is designed for patients of seventy five years or older that suffer from severe vision impairment due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Surgeons place one of the two available telescope models, one with 2.2 times magnification and the other with 2.7 times magnification, into only one of the patient’s eyes. The IMT works by magnifying the image and directing it onto the healthy retinas of the eye. Although the device does not cure AMD, the IMT does improve vision significantly. Typically, patient’s vision improve by at least five letters on the charts.