AI-powered eye implant restores reading vision in blind patients

A groundbreaking European clinical trial has demonstrated that the AI-powered PRIMA eye implant can restore reading vision in patients blinded by geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced and currently untreatable form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The trial involved 38 patients across 17 hospitals in five countries, including the UK’s Moorfields Eye Hospital. After implantation of the 2mm-by-2mm microchip beneath the central retina and use of augmented-reality glasses linked to AI algorithms, 84% of participants regained the ability to recognize letters, numbers, and words, reading an average of five lines on a standard vision chart—an ability many had lost completely prior to surgery. The procedure is relatively quick and safe, performed under two hours by trained vitreoretinal surgeons, and does not affect peripheral vision. The implant works by converting visual scenes captured by the glasses’ camera into electrical signals sent to the brain via the optic nerve, creating a new form of artificial vision. Rehabilitation over several