FDA approved VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies’ Implantable Miniature Telescope to treat macular degeneration in 65- to 74-year-old patients, expanding on the original 75-and-older indication and growing the potential market by about a third.

On many fronts, 2011 was an event-filled year for the retinal disease market, beginning with the publication of the CATT trial comparing off-label intravitreal Avastin versus Lucentis for the treatment of AMD, and ending with several important milestones for device manufacturers operating in this space. But while the retinal device field is making progress in many areas, companies continue to struggle to meet shifting FDA approval requirements.

Noteworthy news from medtech start-ups. This month we profile three emerging artificial retina developers: Nano Retina, 2C Tech Corp. and LambdaVision.

2C Tech Corp. is developing a non-surgical, nanotechnology-based artificial retinal prostheses designed to overcome the limitations of current, implanted silicon chips and to operate at the cellular level over the entire retina to preserve sight. The start-up’s injectable SeeQ device converts ambient light to electrical energy. As photoreceptors are stimulated by the electrical charge, they release growth factors beneficial for retinal cell preservation.