In October 2012, an FDA advisory panel unanimously voted that the probable benefit of the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System (Second Sight Medical Products, Sylmar, CA) outweighs the risks to health, bringing the device close to FDA approval after 20 years of research and development. The retinal implant is expected to improve the quality of life of thousands of blind patients who have no other treatment options. Dr. John W. Kitchens discusses the latest results and future challenges with lead investigator Dr. Mark S. Humayun.

Financial Disclosures: Dr. Kitchens is a paid consultant to Genentech, Regeneron, Synergetics, and Optos. Dr. Humayun is a paid consultant to Second Sight Medical Products, Bausch & Lomb, and Replenish.