Groundbreaking eye implant allows blind patients to read again

A revolutionary eye implant has helped blind patients regain the ability to read, offering new hope for those with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The Prima microchip, a 2mm-square implant inserted under the retina, was trialled at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London as part of an international study. Patients wear glasses with a built-in video camera that beams images to the implant, which then sends enhanced visuals to the brain via the optic nerve, BBC reports. 

“It’s beautiful, wonderful. It gives me such pleasure,” said Sheila Irvine, 70, who took part in the trial. Registered blind due to geographic atrophy, she can now read and do crosswords again.

“Not on your nelly!” she exclaimed when asked if she thought she’d ever read again. “It is amazing. I am one happy bunny.”

The UK arm of the trial was led by consultant ophthalmic surgeon Mahi Muqit, who called the technology “pioneering and life-changing.”

“This is the first implant that's been demonstrated to give patients meaningful vision that they can use in their daily life, such as reading, writing. I think this is a major advance,” he said.

Of 38 patients in the European trial, 32 received the Prima implant, and 27 regained the ability to read using central vision—an improvement equivalent to five lines on an eye chart after a year.

Sheila, who lost her central vision over 30 years ago, now uses the device at home to read post, books, and puzzles. She does not wear it outdoors, as it requires concentration and a steady head position.

The Prima implant is not yet licensed and remains in clinical trials, but Muqit hopes it could be available to some NHS patients “within a few years.”

While it won’t benefit people born blind due to the lack of an optic nerve, it marks a significant step forward for treating sight loss in older age.

By Sabina Mammadli