Scientists have created an implant that allows people with incurable vision loss to see again
British ophthalmologists have tested an ultra-thin electronic implant, only half the thickness of a human hair. It allows people with age-related macular degeneration to partially restore their vision, reports The Guardian.
84% of the trial participants who were implanted with the Prima device regained their ability to read. The study took place in 17 clinics in Europe, including London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital.
The Prima implant is a 2×2 millimeter microchip that is surgically implanted under the retina. The operation takes less than two hours, after which the device works together with special augmented reality glasses.
The glasses are equipped with a video camera and a minicomputer on the belt. The camera captures the image, converts it into an infrared signal and transmits it to a chip that activates retinal cells. Then the information through the optic nerve enters the brain, forming a picture.
The trial involved 38 elderly patients with the “dry” form of age-related macular degeneration – the main cause of vision loss among people over 50, which is not treated. Before the operation, they had only limited peripheral vision, having completely lost their central vision. Five patients were operated on at Moorfields, the rest at clinics in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. After implantation, everyone underwent training and intensive rehabilitation to learn how to use the new type of vision.
“It doesn’t work like you insert a chip into your eye and immediately see. You have to learn to use this type of vision, ” explained Mahi Mukit, a senior consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.
As a result, 84% of the participants were able to read letters, numbers and words again. Doctors described the results as “impressive” and noted that the technology could give people a chance to regain their sight.
“In the history of artificial vision, this marks a new era. Blind patients can now receive a real restoration of central vision, which has never been achieved before. The return of the ability to read significantly improves their quality of life, lifts their spirits, restores confidence and independence, ”, added Mahi Mukit.
