On September 10, 2025, Fighting Blindness Canada hosted a View Point webinar with Dr. Daniel Palanker, professor of ophthalmology at Stanford University and a global leader in the development of retinal prostheses—devices often called the “bionic eye.”
Watch the full recording:
Different Types of Prostheses
Several forms of retinal and visual prostheses are under study. Some are placed under the retina (subretinal), others rest on top of the retina (epiretinal), and some bypass the eye altogether with cortical implants that stimulate the brain directly. Each approach has unique strengths depending on the disease being treated.
Dr. Palanker’s presentation focused on the PRIMA retinal prosthesis, developed by Pixium Vision and currently in clinical trials. PRIMA is designed for people with geographic atrophy, an advanced stage of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
How PRIMA Works
PRIMA consists of a tiny electronic chip placed beneath the retina where photoreceptors have been lost. Patients wear specialized glasses with a camera that captures images and projects them onto the implant using invisible infrared light. The implant then stimulates remaining retinal cells, enabling the brain to perceive patterns, letters, and shapes.
What Patients Experience
In European clinical trials involving more than 40 participants, most patients gained an average of five lines on an eye chart. Some were able to read large print, recognize objects, and resume daily activities such as cooking or playing cards. The restored vision is currently in shades of gray rather than color, but many participants find the improvement meaningful and useful. With practice, patients’ brains adapt, enhancing how they use these new visual signals.
Limits and Future Directions
While results for AMD are promising, the same outcomes may not yet be possible for inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) like retinitis pigmentosa or Stargardt disease, which involve more widespread retinal damage. For these conditions, prostheses may only provide light perception or outlines. Research is ongoing to evaluate PRIMA’s potential in these areas.
Next-generation versions of the implant are being developed with smaller pixels to deliver sharper images and enable reading of smaller print. Software innovations, such as electronic zoom and image stabilization, are also in testing.
Looking Ahead
The PRIMA system remains in clinical trials and is not yet approved for standard treatment. Approval processes can take years, but the technology continues to advance.
Dr. Palanker emphasized that, just as cochlear implants have transformed hearing care, retinal prostheses may one day become a routine and life-changing option for vision loss. While challenges remain, this groundbreaking research offers real hope to individuals living with blinding eye diseases.
Source: Fighting Blindness Canada
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