In a groundbreaking medical advancement, a group of blind patients has regained the ability to read after receiving a revolutionary eye implant at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. The surgeon leading the procedure described the results of the international trial as “astounding.”
According to the BBC, the innovative technology offers new hope for individuals suffering from an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) known as geographic atrophy (GA) — a condition that affects over 250,000 people in the UK and around five million worldwide.
GA typically occurs in older adults when the cells in a small area of the retina gradually deteriorate, leading to blurred or distorted central vision and the loss of color and fine details.
The new procedure involves implanting a 2mm-square photovoltaic microchip — roughly the thickness of a human hair — beneath the retina. Patients then wear specially designed glasses with a built-in video camera, which transmits infrared video signals to the implant. The implant sends these images to a small pocket processor for enhancement before relaying them through the optic nerve to the brain, effectively restoring some degree of sight.
Patients underwent extensive training over several months to learn how to interpret the visual signals.
The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, detail that 38 patients from five European countries participated in the clinical trial for the Prima implant, developed by California-based Science Corporation. Of the 32 patients who received the implant, 27 regained the ability to read using their central vision. After one year, their vision improved by an average of 25 letters — equivalent to five lines on an eye chart.
However, experts note that this technology does not restore sight to individuals born blind, as it requires a functioning optic nerve to transmit visual information to the brain.
This breakthrough represents a major step forward in neuro-ophthalmic technology, potentially paving the way for more effective treatments for blindness caused by retinal degeneration.
