Scientists Develop New Way to Restore Sight to Blind People
European regulators have approved the PRIMA retinal implant, which partially restores vision in geographic atrophy. The device, the size of a pinhead, is implanted under the retina and works with camera-equipped glasses. In a study, the implant improved central vision in 80% of participants. The first surgeries will take place in Germany.
European regulators have officially approved the PRIMA retinal implant, which partially restores vision in people with severe blindness caused by geographic atrophy. This incurable disease, affecting about 8 million people worldwide, is a late stage of dry macular degeneration where macular cells die. Existing therapy only slows progression but does not restore vision. The PRIMA implant, the size of a pinhead, is implanted under the retina and works with camera glasses: the glasses capture the image and project it onto the implant using infrared light, and the microchip converts the radiation into electrical impulses that stimulate bipolar retinal cells, bypassing damaged photoreceptors. The glasses generate energy from light using solar cell principles. In a small study published in October 2025, the implant restored central vision and improved visual acuity in 80% of participants. The first commercial surgeries will take place in Germany, followed by availability in the UK. The developer is Science Corporation from California. The implant is also being studied for Stargardt disease.