BCIwiki (bciwiki.com) — Stanford University ophthalmology professor Daniel Palanker received the Outstanding Research Accomplishment (Individual/Academia) award from the U.S. Defense Health Agency for developing the PRIMA retinal implant. The award was presented at the Military Health Research Symposium in Kissimmee, Florida, on August 3, 2026, following a nomination by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Palanker is an affiliate of Stanford University's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, which advances cutting-edge neuroscience research.
The PRIMA system is designed to restore central vision after photoreceptors are lost due to disease or injury. It uses a 2-by-2-millimeter chip implanted beneath the retina, illuminated by infrared light delivered via augmented reality glasses. The chip converts light into electrical current, stimulating the next layer of neurons, which then send signals to the brain. A landmark paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine on October 25, 2025, showed the device restored functional central vision in people with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration, allowing those considered legally blind to read letters and words. The award also recognizes PRIMA's potential to help restore sight following retinal injuries.
After more than two decades of developing PRIMA, Palanker and his collaborators continue to advance the technology, recently demonstrating preclinical results with pixels one-fifth the size of those in current clinical implants, an innovation that could enable substantially higher visual resolution.