A tiny implant under the retina helped 27 patients with advanced age-related macular degeneration distinguish letters, numbers and words again. For older people who had been without central vision for years, this offers a chance to regain a part of their familiar life.
The implant was developed by Stanford University professor Daniel Palanker. Its 378 light-sensitive pixels convert infrared light into electrical signals that stimulate the retina’s surviving nerve cells. Special glasses transmit the image and allow users to adjust magnification and contrast.
After a year of use, some participants reached visual acuity equivalent to 20/42: this means they can distinguish details from 6 meters away that a person with typical vision can see from about 12.6 meters. Researchers now want to improve image clarity and teach the system to transmit faces more effectively.
