In a breakthrough study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were given some of their sight back by the PRIMA Visual Prosthesis system. AMD is notoriously difficult to treat due to the death of retinal cells, but use of the PRIMA system allowed patience to regain enough sight to fill out crossword puzzles, according to researchers. The study reports that 80% of patients “demonstrated meaningful improvement of visual acuity and were able to read letters, numbers, and words.”
The PRIMA system utilizes a light-powered retinal implant made up of tiny solar panels that is linked to a pair of smart glasses. The glasses wirelessly provide visual data to the implant, which mimics the function of the retina, sending electrical signals to the optic nerve.
“This study confirms that, for the first time, we can restore functional central vision in patients blinded by geographic atrophy,” said Dr. Frank Holz, lead author of the NEJM paper, lead investigator, and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Hospital of Bonn. “The implant represents a paradigm shift in treating late-stage AMD.”
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