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Life Sciences & Medicine Active Updated Aug 1, 2026

Can an implant give sight back in macular degeneration?

A cochlear implant for vision

Where it stands as of Sep 4, 2026

Science Corporation's PRIMA retinal implant, a chip smaller than a grain of rice paired with camera-mounted glasses, won European approval for commercial sale, and a 38-patient trial across five countries produced an average gain of 25.5 letters on a standard eye chart. Patients have read a novel and done crossword puzzles, though CEO Max Hodak described the current vision as like looking through a straw. The planned US launch, as soon as 2027, has not happened.

Science Corporation's retinal implant restores enough central vision for people who lost it to age-related macular degeneration to read books and recognize road signs again. The arc will run as the device, just cleared for commercial sale in Europe, moves toward a possible US launch and wider real-world use.

The story so far

  1. Aug 1, 2026 Latest

    SingularityHub reported that Science Corporation's PRIMA implant, a chip smaller than a grain of rice paired with camera-mounted glasses, produced an average gain of 25.5 letters, more than five lines, on a standard eye chart across a 38-patient trial in five countries, and the company said the first commercial implants are expected in Germany within weeks.

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  2. Jul 26, 2026

    Following its EU approval, Science Corporation shared early patient outcomes for the Prima implant: a French patient finished a 300-page novel and mailed it to the company, another sketched the Sydney Opera House, and patients have played crossword puzzles and Sudoku. CEO Max Hodak said current vision is like looking through a straw, with full color and native sharpness as the device's next target.

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  3. Jul 23, 2026

    Science Corporation announced European regulatory approval for commercial sale of its retinal implant, which restores enough central vision for age-related macular degeneration patients to read books and make out road signs again. Founder Max Hodak called it a cochlear implant for vision, and the company expects a US launch as soon as 2027.

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