Science Corporation implants vision restoration chip in first Stargardt patient

Science Corporation has implanted its PRIMA vision-restoring chip into its first patient with Stargardt disease, TechCrunch AI and TechCrunch reported. Chief executive Max Hodak announced the procedure during an appearance at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference. Stargardt disease is an inherited eye condition that causes progressive loss of central vision. [1][2][5]

Hodak, who previously served as the president and co-founder of Neuralink, explained that the retina is part of the central nervous system. TechCrunch AI reported that the company views its work on the PRIMA implant as a step toward developing a novel brain-computer interface. [1]

Stargardt disease is the most common inherited single-gene retinal disease, caused by genetic variants that lead to macular degeneration starting in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. The PRIMA system works alongside camera-equipped glasses that process and transmit visual information to the user. [5][6]

Science Corporation is based in Alameda, California, and maintains a vertically integrated approach to neural engineering from device manufacturing to clinical trials. Earlier clinical studies of the PRIMA system in patients with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration showed visual acuity improvements in about 80 percent of participants. [6]