A surgically implanted chip and augmented reality glasses are helping some people who have lost sight to read again.
In a small trial, about 80% of people with vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were able to read letters and words a year after treatment, according to a study published Monday (Oct. 20). New England Journal of Medicine.
AMD is the most common cause of blindness in adults over age 65. The disease affects the macula, or the central part of the retina, and causes loss of vision in the center of the eye. In advanced AMD, a process known as geographic atrophy causes significant damage to retinal cells, which can cause total blindness in that eye. Affects about geographic atrophy 5 million people worldwide.
“Before receiving the implant, it was like having two black discs in my eyes, causing an outward distortion,” study participant Sheila Arane, who was diagnosed with AMD, said in the statement.
In a small clinical trial, 38 European patients with AMD had a tiny electronic chip implanted in the center of their retina beneath cells that had died. The chip connects wirelessly to a pair of augmented reality glasses connected to a small computer that they each wear on their waist bands.
The setup, called the Photovoltaic Retina Implant Microarray or Prima System, uses a video camera in the glasses to capture images of the text. The glasses then project this image as infrared light onto the implanted chip. The chip then converts the light into electrical signals, which the brain interprets as vision.
“It’s a new way of looking at your eyes, and when I started seeing a letter, it was amazing,” Irene said in the statement. “It’s not easy, learning to read again, but the more hours I put in, the more I’ll pick up.”
Participants in the study received several months of training to learn to read using the new device. The researchers also encouraged patients to exercise with the device in new ways. Irene used it to do crossword puzzles, while another patient used the device to navigate the Paris Metro system. The zoom function on the camera also helps users read fine print text, such as on a prescription.
The Prima system has some limitations, Dr. Dimitrios Vauvasdirector of the Retina Service at Mass Eye & Ear, who was not involved in the study, said NBC News. In its current form, the device only restores vision in black and white or grayscale, so it can’t be used to recognize faces. Also, it is not yet clear whether the device will remain as effective after several years of use.
But, “as iterations of this device keep getting better and better, it could become a real solution for a group of patients,” Vavaas told NBC.
