Second Sight Leaves Patients with Obsolete Implants

The move has left Argus II users without access to upgrades or repairs, meaning their implants will soon go dark. Second Sight’s website claims the implants are “ever-improving,” and offers late-stage retinitis pigmentosa patients “the capacity for future hardware and software upgrades.” However, a report revealed that it stopped offering upgrades back in March of 2020 when the company announced it was laying off 80 of its 108 employees. Second Sight is now shifting focus from the Argus to a newer implant called Orion, which is intended for patients with different needs. Without an option for replacement or technical upgrade, Argus users are left with two options: keep a soon-to-be-obsolete device in their eyes, or undergo an invasive procedure to have it removed.