News for Supporters and Friends
2020 FALL EDITION
Two patients in Pittsburgh first in the United States to receive a promising PRIMA system to restore vision for severe Macular Degeneration by Craig Smith
Scientists and clinicians in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine had the distinction in January 2020 of implanting the first patient in the United States with the PRIMA System. This procedure is part of a clinical trial that aims to restore partial vision to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients.
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“This is an important milestone for vision restoration,” says Joseph Martel, MD. “This device has the potential to impact patients with advanced AMD associated visual impairment, for which there is currently no satisfactory FDA approved treatment.”
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MD is an eye disease that occurs when a part of the retina called the macular is damaged. Patients with AMD lose their eyesight in the center of their field of vision while retaining peripheral vision. AMD currently affects more than 11 million people in the United States and is expected to double by 2050 as the U.S. population continues to age. The PRIMA system consists of a small, wireless photovoltaic chip that is surgically placed under the degenerated macula and a pair of augmented reality glasses that include a built-in camera and infrared projector. Once in place, the chip and glasses work together to convert infrared light from the glasses into electrical signals that are carried by the intact retinal neural network to the optic nerve and then to the brain. After being implanted with the device, patients undergo intense vision training and rehabilitation to learn how to interpret these electric signals and, in conjunction with their limited remaining natural vision, integrate the visual input from the prosthetic vision. PRIMA was developed by Pixium Vision in collaboration with the inventor of the patent, Daniel Palanker, from Stanford and the teams of the Institut de la Vision, led by Dr. José-Alain Sahel. With the first patient having been implanted in January, doctors are anxious to increase clinical trial participants and follow their progress. “Currently, two subjects have been implanted and have had no serious study-related adverse side effects to date,” states Dr. Martel, an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Retina and Vitreous Services. “At this point, patients have Continued on page 3