Science Corporation, led by CEO Max Hodak, has implanted its vision-restoring chip, PRIMA, into its first patient diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a hereditary condition that progressively damages central vision. This breakthrough procedure took place in May at Sydney Eye Hospital in Australia. The patient demonstrated early positive results in rehabilitation sessions, able to identify letters and read simple words, signaling a potential new avenue for treating this currently incurable eye disorder.

PRIMA is a small implant placed at the back of the eye where photoreceptors have died due to the disease, combined with specially equipped glasses that transmit visual information to the chip. The device acts as an artificial set of photoreceptors, delivering high-contrast, monochrome images within a limited central field of view. Hodak emphasized that while the current implant produces a narrow patch of vision, ongoing developments aim to expand the field of view and improve the device’s resolution, with next-generation versions expected within a year.

The significance of PRIMA extends beyond Stargardt disease; it is already commercially available in Europe for patients with advanced age-related macular degeneration. Hodak, who co-founded Neuralink, views this retinal prosthesis as part of a broader category of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that could revolutionize medical devices. He pointed out that vision essentially translates into electrical signals to the brain, and devices like PRIMA simulate this process, opening doors to multiple neurological and sensory applications.

Looking ahead, Science Corporation is working on implantable BCI technology designed to assist patients with neurodegenerative diseases and stroke. Unlike Neuralink’s invasive approach, their device rests on the brain surface and is aimed at extending health spans and potentially augmenting brain function. Hodak articulated a long-term vision where BCIs are widely adopted as people age, with the ultimate goal of decoding brain mechanisms and engineering advanced neural systems.