LONDON, Oct 20 (BBC) – A pioneering microchip implant has helped a group of blind patients read again, marking a major medical breakthrough in restoring vision.
Surgeons at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London inserted the tiny chip in five patients as part of an international clinical trial. The results, described by doctors as “astounding,” have offered new hope to people with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
How the implant restores vision
The new procedure involves placing a 2mm-square photovoltaic microchip, as thin as a human hair, beneath the retina. Patients wear special glasses equipped with a miniature video camera that transmits infrared images to the implant.
The implant sends enhanced images through the optic nerve to the brain, allowing patients to perceive shapes and letters. Over several months, participants learned to interpret the visual signals and regained some central vision.
A breakthrough for macular degeneration
The technology targets geographic atrophy (GA) — a severe form of dry AMD that affects over 250,000 people in the UK and around five million worldwide. The condition damages cells in the retina, leading to blurred or distorted central vision.
Dr Mahi Muqit, consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, led the UK arm of the trial. “This is pioneering and life-changing technology,” he said. “It’s the first implant proven to give patients meaningful vision they can use in daily life, such as reading and writing.”
‘It’s beautiful, wonderful,’ says patient
Seventy-year-old Sheila Irvine, who has been registered blind for decades, said the implant transformed her life. “It’s beautiful, wonderful. It gives me such pleasure,” she told the BBC.
Sheila, from Wiltshire, can now read her mail, books, and do crosswords again — something she thought would never be possible. “Not on your nelly!” she joked. “I’m one happy bunny.”
Sheila’s vision loss began more than 30 years ago, leaving her unable to read or see street signs. Since receiving the implant, she has been able to identify letters and complete eye charts perfectly.
International trial shows promising results
The trial of the Prima implant, developed by California-based Pixium Vision (Science Corporation), involved 38 patients across five European countries.
Of the 32 who received the implant, 27 regained central vision sufficient to read again. One year later, participants showed an average improvement of five lines on a standard eye chart — equivalent to recognizing 25 more letters.
The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Next steps for the technology
Although the Prima implant is not yet licensed for general use, researchers are optimistic that it could be available to NHS patients within a few years. Experts also believe the technology could eventually help people with other forms of vision loss.
Dr Peter Bloomfield, director of research at the Macular Society, said the results were “encouraging” and “fantastic news” for those who currently have no treatment options. “Artificial vision offers new hope, especially after years of setbacks in dry AMD research,” he said.
The implant does not work for individuals born blind because it requires a functioning optic nerve to transmit signals to the brain.
This news was originally published by BBC.