21/10/2025
A revolutionary new implant has restored some vision to patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), enabling them to read words and numbers, boosting hopes of a breakthrough treatment.
The PRIMA System, hailed as the first implantable device to enable people to read using an eye that had lost sight, works with a specialised set of glasses which convert light into signals that healthy retinal cells can send to the brain.
A European clinical trial of 38 patients, who had no central vision due to late-stage dry AMD, found 84.4% of people regained the ability to read letters, numbers, and words. On average, patients were able to read up to five lines on an eye chart.
Sheila, who was one of five patients involved in the trial at Moorfields Hospital in London, is optimistic about what this could mean for the future.
She said: “It’s a new way of looking through your eyes, and it was dead exciting when I began seeing a letter. It’s not simple, learning to read again, but the more hours I put in, the more I pick up.”
She added: “It’s made a big difference. Reading takes you into another world, I’m definitely more optimistic now.”
Mahi Muqit, senior vitreoretinal consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Institute of Ophthalmology at UCL, said: “In the history of artificial vision, this represents a new era. Blind patients are actually able to have meaningful central vision restoration, which has never been done before.”
Welcoming the PRIMA System results, our own director of research, Dr Peter Bloomfield added: “These are encouraging results which indicate an improved quality of life to patients living with dry AMD, particularly GA (geographic atrophy). Where there is currently no treatment option, this is fantastic news.
“Artificial vision may offer a lot of hope to many, particularly after previous disappointments in the world of dry AMD treatment. The interface between digital and biological systems offers great potential and this is exciting news.”
