A tiny wireless retinal implant has helped restore central vision in people with geographic atrophy (GA), with trial participants on average gaining 25 letters on a standard eye chart.
The photovoltaic retina implant microarray (PRIMA) system combines a subretinal photovoltaic implant and glasses that project near-infrared light to the implant to restore sight to areas of central retinal atrophy.
A multi-centre clinical study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine,1 assessed the vision of participants with GA and a visual acuity of at least 1.2 logMAR with PRIMA glasses and without PRIMA glasses at six and 12 months.
Of the 38 patients in the trial, 32 completed 12 months of follow up. Six were not able to be assessed, but accounting for the missing data, researchers estimated that “on average, when using the implant, patients gained 25 letters on a standard eye chart. Overall, 81% of participants improved by at least 10 letters”.2
A total of 26 serious adverse events occurred in 19 participants. Twenty-one of these events (81%) occurred within two months after surgery, of which 20 (95%) resolved within two months after onset.
Reading Letters and Words
“It’s the first time that any attempt at vision restoration has achieved such results in a large number of patients,” said Professor José-Alain Sahel, from the University of Pittsburgh.
“More than 80% of the patients were able to read letters and words, and some of them are reading pages in a book. This is really something we couldn’t have dreamt of when we started on this journey, together with Daniel Palanker [Director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Vision Institute], 15 years ago.”2
The PRIMA system, originally developed by Dr Palanker, is designed to replace damaged photoreceptors with a 2×2 mm wireless implant. The device converts light into electrical signals that stimulate surviving retinal cells. A camera built into specialised glasses records images and sends them to the implant using invisible near-infrared light. The implant then transforms that light into electrical pulses, helping restore the transmission of visual information to the brain. Users can adjust zoom and contrast settings to improve how clearly they see.
Following these results, the device manufacturer, Science Corporation, has submitted applications seeking approval for clinical use in Europe and the United States.
References
- University of Pittsburgh. “Wireless retinal implant helps blind patients see again.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 March 2026, available at: sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260302030640.htm [accessed March 2026].
- Holz FG, Le Mer Y, Sahel J-A, et al. Subretinal photovoltaic implant to restore vision in geographic atrophy due to AMD. New England Journal of Medicine, 2026; 394 (3): 232 doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2501396.
