Every week there is an announcement about a scientific advance linked to an implant. This time, it is people of a certain age affected by vision problems due to macular degeneration who are concerned. Science Corporation, a company behind the Prima brain implant (BCI), has revealed preliminary results of its solution after a clinical trial involving 38 patients from five countries suffering from geographic atrophy.
Advertising, your content continues below
A “milestone” in the treatment of macular degeneration
The results, retrieved after 6 and 12 months with the system installed, showed that the implant restored “shape vision” in patients who had lost their central visual field. Concretely, the system allows them to perform high-acuity tasks, such as reading or face recognition. After receiving a Prima implant, patients were able to read with significant improvement, including regaining the ability to recognize letters.
“For the first time, it was possible to restore true shape vision in a retina damaged by age-related macular degeneration“said Professor Frank Holz, MD, scientific coordinator of the PRIMAvera study. “Before this, there was no real therapeutic option to improve the vision of these patients.“, added Professor Holz, Chairman and Professor at the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Bonn, Germany.
A still cumbersome system
For the head of Science Corporation, Max Hodak, this is a real turning point in this sector, while he says he is very enthusiastic about bringing this technology to the market in the years to come. This study also aimed to prove its safety.
The Prima system is made up of several elements beyond the photovoltaic implant surgically integrated behind the retina. A special pair of glasses with a camera and projection system, as well as a pocket processor, are required.
The full study is available here.
