People with blindness can read again after retinal implant
Summary
Scientists have used a tiny electronic retinal implant to restore useful central vision to people left functionally blind by advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The device, called PRIMA, is a photovoltaic microarray about 2 mm by 2 mm and 30 µm thick that sits under the retina and electrically stimulates surviving retinal neurons.
In a multi-centre clinical trial reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, 38 people received the implant. One year after surgery, around 80% of participants experienced a clinically meaningful improvement in vision: 26 of 32 tested at one year could read letters and words and performed about two lines better on a standard visual-acuity chart on average. Most were using the system at home and reported medium-to-high satisfaction.
Key Points
- The PRIMA implant replaces lost light-sensitive cells by converting light (from infrared projected by a camera-equipped pair of glasses) into electrical stimulation of the retina.
- The device is wireless and photovoltaic — light both powers it and carries the image information.
- The trial treated 38 people with severe dry AMD across 17 sites in five European countries; 32 were assessed at one year and 26 showed clinically meaningful gains.
- Typical benefit corresponded to roughly two additional lines on an eye chart; many recipients could read letters, words and numbers after training.
- Surgical complications were mostly minor; a safety board judged benefits to outweigh risks and the manufacturer has applied for European market certification.
- Use of the system requires months of training and adjustments (zoom, contrast, brightness) but most users integrated it into daily life.
Context and Relevance
Dry AMD is a leading cause of irreversible central vision loss in older adults; current treatments are limited. Because downstream retinal neurons remain, a device that directly stimulates them can restore useful sight even when photoreceptors have died. PRIMA’s wireless, photovoltaic approach is a notable technical advance over earlier, bulkier retinal prostheses and shows that micro-scale implants can meaningfully recover tasks such as reading for people previously described as functionally blind.
Why should I read this?
In plain terms: this is proper progress. A pinhead-sized chip helping people read again isn’t sci-fi any more — it’s clinical reality. If you care about neurotech, ageing, or real-world medical advances that change lives, this is worth a quick read. We’ve done the slog and pulled out the bits that matter so you can see why this actually moves the needle.