Scientists develop eyesight restoring implant with artificial intelligence

With a chip the size of a grain of rice and glasses that see beyond blindness, science has taken a major step toward restoring sight to the blind.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, age-related macular degeneration (AMD)  is an age-related eye disease that affects central vision, making it difficult for people, especially those over 50, to see things directly in front of them.

Over time, dry AMD damages central vision by slowly killing the macula’s light-sensitive cells. As the central macula deteriorates in its mature state, known as geographic atrophy (GA), the degeneration may result in complete blindness in the affected eye. There is presently no cure for GA, which affects about 5 million people globally. 

For years, people who have suffered from AMD have lived a life in darkness. Now, scientists have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered implant called PRIMA to help restore eyesight.

Developed by researchers from University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital, the PRIMA chip works hand-in-hand with augmented reality glasses. The implant, placed beneath the retina, receives visual data captured by the glasses. This data is processed by artificial intelligence and converted into electrical signals that the brain interprets as images.

In clinical trials, 84% of participants who were once blind regained enough vision to recognize letters, numbers, and even read words again. Some could read up to five lines on a standard vision chart, something impossible before the surgery.

Sheila Irvine, one of the patients involved in the trial, shared that after the surgery, she was able to read crossword puzzles, something she had deeply missed. “It’s made a big difference. I’m definitely more optimistic now,” she said

The vitrectomy procedure involves removing the eye’s vitreous gel to insert the implant, after which patients wear camera-equipped glasses linked to a pocket computer that uses infrared technology and machine learning to convert visual data into signals the brain can perceive as sight.

Dr. Mahi Muqit, one of the lead researchers, described it as “a new era in artificial vision,” noting that the operation takes under two hours and can be performed by trained surgeons worldwide.

While full visual restoration remains on the horizon, the PRIMA implant marks a historic milestone. With further research, this new development could offer a new a-eye to even more optical conditions.