Prima implant restores sight in patients with macular degeneration

Science Corporation's Prima system pairs a retinal implant with camera-equipped glasses to restore vision in advanced age-related macular degeneration. It was approved in Europe in July and awaits FDA clearance in the US; after training, over 80% of recipients could read and use their phones.

• 378-pixel implant sends signals directly to healthy retinal neurons
• Glasses camera captures ~5-megapixel video at 30 frames per second
• Signal reaches the eye via an 880 nm infrared laser
• Over 80% of recipients could read and use phones after training