Science Corporation implants vision chip in first Stargardt disease patient

Science Corporation implanted its PRIMA vision chip in its first patient with Stargardt disease as part of a clinical trial in Australia.

Stargardt is an inherited disease that gradually damages the retina and causes a growing blind spot in central vision; it is considered incurable.

The patient received the implant in May at Sydney Eye Hospital, and rehabilitation sessions helped him see a letter and then read a word.

The small chip sits at the back of the eye, where light-sensing cells have degenerated, and camera-equipped glasses send images to it.

The device provides a small patch of sharp black-and-white vision, rather than a wide field of natural, color vision.

PRIMA is already commercially available in Europe for some people who have lost sight from advanced age-related macular degeneration, and the company is testing its use for Stargardt disease.

A next-generation device is expected to be tested in people within the next year, with Science Corporation aiming to expand the field of view and improve detail over time.