Science Corporation implants vision chip in first Stargardt disease patient

Science Corporation has implanted its PRIMA vision-restoring chip into its first patient with Stargardt disease, according to TechCrunch. Chief executive officer Max Hodak announced the trial milestone on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt. [1][2]

The patient suffers from Stargardt disease, which TechCrunch reported is an inherited condition that gradually destroys central vision. Stargardt disease is the most common inherited single-gene retinal disease and causes progressive loss of vision, according to Wikipedia. [1][4]

Science Corporation is headquartered in Alameda, California, and takes a vertically integrated approach to neural engineering. The PRIMA system works alongside camera-equipped glasses to process and transmit visual information to the user. Previous clinical studies in patients with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration showed visual acuity improvements in about 80 percent of participants. [5]

Hodak was previously the co-founder and president of Neuralink. TechCrunch reported that he considers the company's work with the PRIMA chip to be part of a broader effort to develop a novel brain-computer interface, noting that the retina functions as part of the central nervous system. [1]