Electronic Prima Implant Offers Vision Restoration and Reading Ability for Geographic Atrophy Patients
- 28 oct
- 2 Min. de lectura
For years, the answer to patients asking about restoring vision lost to incurable eye conditions was often a devastating "no". That answer has now dramatically changed, thanks to a ground-breaking electronic eye implant known as Prima Implant. Experts are calling this tiny device a "paradigm shift" in artificial vision, offering profound vision restoration to those previously untreatable.
The Prima Implant is aimed at treating advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), specifically a form called Geographic Atrophy (GA). GA is the most common cause of irreversible blindness among the elderly and affects approximately five million people worldwide. This condition causes central vision loss as cells in the macula deteriorate and die.
The technology, developed by Science Corporation and previously refined over decades, has been trialled globally, including in the UK at Moorfields Eye Hospital. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, are described as "astounding". Of the 32 patients who completed the one-year trial, 27 were able to read again using their central vision, representing an improvement of roughly five lines on a standard eye chart. Overall, 84% of trial patients were able to read letters, numbers, and words while using Prima.
The device itself is a minuscule photovoltaic microchip, measuring just 2mm by 2mm and half the thickness of a human hair. Surgeons insert the chip under the retina. To function, patients wear augmented-reality glasses equipped with a camera and linked to a small computer. The camera transmits an infrared beam to the chip, which converts the image into an electrical signal that travels through the optic nerve to the brain, where it is interpreted as vision. Because the chip is photovoltaic, it operates wirelessly, overcoming the need for external cables that hampered previous prostheses.
For patients, the impact has been transformative. Sheila Irvine, 70, a participant in the UK trial, described her previous vision as "like having two black discs" in her eyes. After the operation, she reported that it was "out of this world" to be able to read and do crosswords again, adding, "I am one happy bunny". Patients are now achieving reading ability on prescriptions, food labels, and books. Mahi Muqit, senior vitreoretinal consultant at Moorfields, noted that the device allows socially isolated patients "to start to function and pick up things that they used to enjoy".
While the current Prima Implant provides vision primarily in black and white, researchers are already engineering the next generation of chips with smaller pixels that promise better resolution—potentially 20/80 vision, or closer to 20/20 with electronic zoom. Though the device is not yet licensed, there is optimism it could be available to NHS patients "within a few years," offering vital hope to those who currently have no treatment options for Geographic Atrophy.
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