Summarised by Centrist
A wireless eye implant designed to restore central vision in people with advanced macular degeneration has been approved for use in the European Union.
The Prima device, developed by US-based Science Corporation, uses a tiny chip surgically implanted beneath the retina. Camera-equipped glasses transmit images to the chip using near-infrared light, which it converts into electrical signals interpreted by the brain.
“We have a cochlear implant for vision now,” chief executive Max Hodak said.
Early trials found some patients could recognise faces and read again.
“One of our patients in France finished a 300-page novel,” Hodak said. Others have drawn pictures, completed crosswords and filled in Sudoku puzzles.
The technology remains limited. Hodak described the current experience as “kind of like looking through a straw in the centre of their vision”, but said it provided “powerful proof” the approach worked.
Science Corporation hopes future versions will offer colour and clarity approaching natural sight.
The device is expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, although the company is working with healthcare providers to help cover the expense. Germany, where clinical trials were conducted, is likely to become the first country to offer treatment.
Neuralink is developing a competing vision implant called Blindsight, but has not yet begun human trials.
