Australian retinal implant developer Bionic Vision Technologies (BVT) recently reported it has raised $18 million from investors to develop and begin a human clinical trial of its "bionic eye" implant for patients with retinitis pigmentosa.
The investment was reportedly made on the basis of BVT's advanced work in developing bionic vision technologies, including a successful clinical trial of a prototype device in three patients. BVT's implant is reportedly placed at the back of a patient's eye, where it stimulates surviving nerve cells in the retina with electrical signals created from images collected by an externally worn camera.
The funding will reportedly help move BVT's technology into clinical trials in the coming months as the company works towards securing regulatory approval. According to BVT, next stage clinical trials are scheduled to start in the coming months. Patients will reportedly be surgically implanted with a permanent device to wear in their everyday activities so researchers can monitor mobility and independence.
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Source: Bionic Vision Technologies