Retinal Implant Restores Vision in Geographic Atrophy

Lost vision can’t be restored—that’s typically what clinicians must tell patients with sight-threatening conditions like glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But now, that may no longer be the case, thanks to a novel implant for AMD. This device, recently described in New England Journal of Medicine, led to significant improvements in central vision and visual acuity in patients with geographic atrophy.1The photovoltaic retina implant microarray (PRIMA) neurostimulation system consists of a 2x2mm wireless chip implanted subretinally in the atrophic lesion and a frame-mounted camera on a pair of glasses that captures images and projects them onto the implant using near-infrared light. The system serves as a replacement for the lost photoreceptors, transducing light into electrical signals that stimulate retinal bipolar cells to reestablish the flow of visual information. PRIMA is the first retinal prosthesis to restore vision, not just light sensitivity. The authors write that the wireless nature of the implant makes it theoretically simple to replace with a higher resolution next-generation implant or to implant multiple PRIMA chips in a tiled pattern at the atrophic area. These images from a previous study of the implant show subretinal placement of the device in subjects with GA experiencing profound vision loss. The two white lines below the implant surface (*) are OCT artifacts due to strong light reflection from the implant surface. Photo: Science Corporation/SWNS. Click image to enlarge. “The wireless design simplifies implantation and reduces the risk of surgical and postoperative adverse events as compared with wired retinal implants with permanent openings in the eye globe,” the researchers explained in their paper.The multicenter, prospective PRIMAvera trial included 38 participants with geographic atrophy, 32 of which completed the study. All patients had a visual acuity of at least 1.2 logMAR (Snellen 20/320) and were assessed with and without PRIMA glasses at six and 12 months. Primary endpoints were clinically meaningful improvements in vision (≥0.2 logMAR) and the number of device-related adverse events.At 12 months, the PRIMA system resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in vision from baseline in 26 of 32 patients (81%). The researchers estimate that 80% of all 38 participants would have achieved the primary endpoint. With the prosthesis, patients were able to perform visual tasks such as reading and writing.In the study there were 26 adverse events in 19 participants. Most occurred within two months of surgery and 95% resolved within two months after onset. The researchers noted that the complication profile was consistent with those of vitrectomy and subretinal surgery. Peripheral visual acuity remained unaffected.The current iteration provides black and white vision for reading, but a full-range grayscale software is in the works to allow for facial recognition. The researchers also plan to test the device in other form of vision loss resulting from lost photoreceptors.2Click here for the journal source. 1. Holz FG, Le Mer Y, Muqit MMK, et al. Subretinal photovoltaic implant to restore vision in geographic atrophy due to AMD. NEJM 2025. [Epub October 20, 2025].2. Bai N. Eye prosthesis is the first to restore sight lost to macular degeneration. Stanford Medicine. October 20, 2025. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/10/eye-prosthesis.html. Accessed October 21, 2025. This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.