The UK's first bionic eye patient trials Pixium Vision's Prima System

An 88-year-old geographic atrophy (GA) patient has been able to detect signals in her blind left eye using a new bionic implant inserted with a revolutionary operation, according to Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. 

French company’s Pixium Vision’s Prima System comprises a 2mm-wide microchip, which is inserted under the patient’s retina to transmit electrical signals processed by glasses containing a camera and a small computer running artificial intelligence algorithms. The electrical signals reach the brain via the retina and are interpreted as natural vision.  

Fundus of a patient with the implanted Prima microchip

The patient, a grandmother from London, said, “Losing the sight in my left eye through dry age-related macular degeneration has stopped me from doing the things I love, like gardening, playing indoor bowls and painting with watercolours. I am thrilled to be the first to have this implant, excited at the prospect of enjoying my hobbies again and I truly hope that many others will benefit from this too.”   

The implant is being trialled with other blind GA patients as part of a Europe-wide clinical trial.