Science Corporation announced the successful implantation of its Prima wireless retinal chip in the first patient with Stargardt disease, a hereditary condition that progressively destroys central vision. The patient, who underwent surgery at Sydney Eye Hospital in Australia, was able to see a letter during their first rehabilitation session and read a word in the second session.
First-of-its-kind medical breakthrough for inherited vision loss in Sydney
How the Prima wireless chip works and current vision limits
Regulatory status in Europe and America and geographic atrophy trial results
A step toward brain-computer interfaces and treating neurological diseases
Frequently asked questions
First-of-its-kind medical breakthrough for inherited vision loss in Sydney
Science Corporation, a company specializing in neurotechnologies and medical devices, has successfully implanted its “Prima” retinal chip into the eye of the first patient with Stargardt disease, an inherited eye disorder that slowly destroys central vision and currently has no approved pharmaceutical or surgical treatment. Max Hodak, CEO of the company, announced this medical breakthrough on Tuesday, October 13, at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference.
The company stated that the patient received the electronic implant last May at Sydney Eye Hospital in Australia, where they were able to see an alphabetic letter during the first rehabilitation session and successfully read a full word during their second rehabilitation session.
This clinical outcome represents the first promising practical indication that the device, which is already sold in European markets to treat a form of age-related blindness, can also successfully treat a second disease of genetic origin affecting young people and adults.
How the Prima wireless chip works and current vision limits
“Prima” is an ultra-small wireless electronic chip measuring just 2 millimeters on each side, surgically placed beneath the retina in the area where photoreceptor cells have died. During a surgery lasting about one hour, surgeons secure the chip to the back of the eye, and patients then wear specialized glasses equipped with a built-in camera that projects infrared light onto the chip, which in turn converts it into electrical signals that stimulate surviving retinal nerve cells.
According to Infobae, the surgical procedure in Sydney was performed under the supervision of Dr. Matthew Simunovic as part of a clinical trial named “Primavera,” aimed at enrolling 5 individuals with Stargardt disease, retinitis pigmentosa, or other inherited retinal degenerative diseases. The company published a video update on the patient’s condition on its official website.
Hodak spoke candidly and transparently about what the device can and cannot currently offer, stating: “It’s like looking through a drinking straw. It’s not a wide-field color vision; it’s a patch in their central vision that looks black and white, but it’s sharp and clear.” He noted that the next generation of the implant will feature smaller electrodes and a wider field of view, expected to be tested in humans within a year, adding, “Over the next five years, I think we will get very close to natural visual acuity.”
Regulatory status in Europe and America and geographic atrophy trial results
On the regulatory front, the Prima chip holds the European CE mark in the European Union and is registered for medical supply in the United Kingdom, but it is not approved for commercial sale anywhere else yet. The current European approval covers “geographic atrophy,” an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration, and does not yet include Stargardt disease.
In July 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the Prima device two designations under the “humanitarian use device” category, though the device still requires agency review and final approval before commercial sales are permitted in the United States.
The company’s previous clinical trials showed strong results, with 80 percent of geographic atrophy patients achieving a clinically meaningful improvement in visual acuity 12 months after chip implantation.
A step toward brain-computer interfaces and treating neurological diseases
This project has dimensions that extend beyond ophthalmology; CEO Max Hodak co-founded the famous company Neuralink before leaving in 2021 to establish Science Corporation. Hodak describes work on the retina as a form of brain-computer interface, explaining: “The retina is an integral part of the central nervous system.”
Hodak revealed that the first application of direct brain implants developed by his company—whose full details have not yet been announced—will target “a neurodegenerative disease everyone has heard of,” noting that the company is also exploring therapeutic applications for stroke conditions.
These researches hold immense humanitarian significance, as company estimates indicate that about 150,000 people worldwide have lost their sight due to inherited Stargardt disease.
Frequently asked questions
Question: How does the Prima chip restore vision in retinal patients?
Answer: A wireless chip measuring 2 millimeters is placed beneath the retina in a one-hour surgery, receiving infrared rays from camera-equipped glasses to convert them into electrical signals that stimulate healthy nerve cells.
Question: What results did the first Stargardt patient achieve after chip implantation?
Answer: The patient, operated on at Sydney Eye Hospital in Australia, was able to see a letter in the first rehab session and read a word in the second session with sharp black-and-white central vision.
Question: What is the current regulatory status of the Prima chip in Europe and the United States?
Answer: The chip holds the European CE mark and is registered in Britain for treating geographic atrophy, and in July 2026 received two humanitarian use designations from the FDA pending final review.
Question: How many people suffer from vision loss due to Stargardt disease globally?
Answer: Science Corporation estimates that about 150,000 people worldwide have lost their vision due to inherited Stargardt disease.
