Struggling with vision loss from dry AMD? A new AI eye implant is helping the blind read again. Learn about this groundbreaking clinical trial and how it works.
A groundbreaking new eye implant has helped blind people regain the ability to read, thanks to a small device powered by artificial intelligence. This development comes from a clinical trial conducted across Europe, involving researchers from University College London (UCL) and Moorfields Eye Hospital. The study has shown that this new technology can restore partial vision to people suffering from geographic atrophy, a severe form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which currently has no cure. The findings of the study were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Results showed that 84% of patients who received the implant were able to see and recognize letters, numbers, and words again, despite previously having no central vision. Before the surgery, many of the 38 participants could not even see the eye test chart. After treatment, most could read about five lines of the chart. The trial included hospitals in five countries, with Moorfields Eye Hospital being the only UK site involved.
What Is Dry AMD?
Dry AMD slowly damages the central part of the retina, known as the macula which leads to loss of detailed vision. Those affected often rely on peripheral vision, making tasks like reading and recognizing faces difficult. This new implant is the first device to restore the ability to read in an eye that has completely lost central vision.
Mr Mahi Muqit, a consultant eye surgeon at Moorfields and a researcher at UCL, led the UK part of the trial. He stated: “In the history of artificial vision, this represents a new era. Blind patients are actually able to have meaningful central vision restoration, which has never been done before.”
He added that the surgery takes less than two hours and can be performed by any trained eye surgeon, making the treatment potentially widely available in the future.
How the Eye Implant Works
The implant, called PRIMA, is a tiny chip about the size of a SIM card, just 2mm by 2mm and thinner than a human hair. It is placed under the damaged part of the retina during a procedure called a vitrectomy, in which the jelly inside the eye is removed. After surgery, patients wear special glasses with a built-in camera, connected to a small computer worn at the waist. The camera captures images, which are sent via infrared light to the implant. AI software in the computer converts these images into electrical signals, which travel through the optic nerve to the brain, allowing the brain to “see” these signals as vision.
Patients need training to learn how to use the system and understand what they’re seeing. Over several months, they practice reading, zooming in on letters, and scanning text using the glasses.
Importantly, the treatment did not damage any remaining peripheral vision, and results suggest the system is safe and effective.
A Future Full of Possibility
The PRIMA system is being developed by Science Corporation, a company focused on brain-computer interfaces and neural technology. It works like a tiny solar panel, using light to power the signals it sends to the brain. Until the glasses and computer are turned on, the implant remains inactive.
In the trial, patients used the device not only to read but also to do tasks like solving puzzles or navigating public transport, showing its potential for everyday use.
This successful trial could lead to regulatory approval and wider use of the PRIMA system in the future. It offers real hope for millions of people with AMD and other forms of sight loss, proving that advanced technology can make the seemingly impossible, possible.