A team of surgeons at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London has successfully implanted a 2 mm microchip beneath the retina, enabling partially blind patients to regain their reading ability after years of vision loss.

Sheila Irvin, a 70-year-old registered blind patient, described the experience as "unforgettable" after she was able to read and solve crossword puzzles again.

The new technology targets geographic atrophy (GA) — an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that affects over 250,000 people in the UK and around 5 million globally.
The procedure involves inserting a microscopic light-sensitive chip beneath the retina. Patients then wear smart glasses equipped with a miniature video camera that transmits infrared images to the implant, which sends processed signals through the optic nerve to the brain.

Dr. Mahi Muquit, consultant ophthalmic surgeon and lead investigator in the UK trial, described it as “a pioneering technology that will transform lives,” emphasizing that it is the first implant to provide patients with meaningful central vision they can use for daily tasks such as reading and writing.

The trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, included 38 participants across five European countries. Of the 32 who received the implant, 27 regained the ability to read, with an average improvement of five lines on the eye chart after one year.

Although the Prima implant is not yet commercially licensed, researchers hope it will soon be available through the UK’s National Health Service and eventually help millions suffering from vision loss worldwide.