Blindness defeated: scientists have for the first time in history fully restored patients' sight with the help of an implant

Science Corporation, the company founded by Neuralink co-founder Max Hodak, has announced preliminary results from a clinical trial of its Prima retinal implant.

Here's What We Know

The implant, designed for patients with atrophic dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a miniature wireless subretinal device that pairs with a handheld computer and glasses. Thirty-eight patients with geographic atrophy (GA) took part in the trial, and the results showed that Prima restored "real-world" vision in patients who had lost their central visual field.

This enabled them to perform tasks with high visual acuity, such as reading and recognising faces. Patients were able to read with clinically significant improvement, including the ability to recognise letters. Dr Frank Holz, scientific coordinator of the PRIMAvera study, noted that this is the first case of real vision recovery in AMD patients. Max Hodak added that this is an important turning point for the field and that the company plans to bring this technology to market in the coming years.

Source: Mass Device