Visual Prostheses: Cortical and Retinal Implants

Visual prostheses bypass damaged retinas using electrical stimulation or optogenetics to restore light perception along the visual pathway. This topic tracks clinical trials of cortical visual prostheses and retinal implants, with a focus on Chinese breakthroughs.

August 2026

08-18 United States Industry News Progress & Expansion

Vivani Merges Cortigent Into Nasdaq-Listed ClearOne, Giving Orion Implant a New Parent

The Orion visual neuroprosthetic system, originally developed by Second Sight Medical Products, is changing parent companies again, Neurotech Reports said. Vivani Medical has agreed a reverse merger with Nasdaq-listed ClearOne under which its Cortigent unit becomes a wholly owned ClearOne subsidiary; ClearOne will be renamed Cortigent Holdings Inc. and is expected to trade as CRGT. ClearOne agreed as part of the transaction to file a Form S-1 registration statement to raise $10 million to $15 million, and Cortigent plans a pivotal trial of Orion in about 60 patients, though funding remains a challenge.

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08-17 · Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation (United States) +15 more Germany France United States Papers Sensation & Feedback

Stanford's Palanker Wins Defense Health Agency Award for PRIMA Retinal Implant

Daniel Palanker, a Stanford professor and affiliate of the university's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, has won the U.S. Defense Health Agency's Outstanding Research Accomplishment award for the PRIMA retinal implant, designed to restore central vision after photoreceptor loss. A 2-mm chip sits beneath the retina and is driven by infrared light from augmented-reality glasses, converting that light into current that stimulates the next layer of neurons. A 2025 paper in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that the device let legally blind patients with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration read letters and words, and the award recognizes its potential for military personnel with laser-damaged retinas.

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July 2026

07-31 · Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital China Clinical Implantation & Procedure

China Implants First 320-Resolution Visual BCI

Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital performed China's first 320-resolution visual BCI implant; a woman blind for nearly 20 years reportedly reads, writes and walks again.

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07-02 China Clinical Launch & Registration

Beijing Tongren Hospital Registers Observational Study of Clinical Needs for Invasive Visual BCI

The study involves no implant and tests no device. It asks 50 adults with acquired blindness what existing assistive devices get wrong, and what they would want from a vision-restoration implant. Outcomes span demographics and economics, quality of life, clinical features, satisfaction with current aids, and design requirements for an invasive visual brain-computer interface. Participants must be at least 18, have only weak or no light perception in both eyes, and have lost their sight after birth; congenital blindness is excluded.

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June 2026

06-13 · Xiangya Hospital, Central South University China Clinical Implantation & Procedure

Xiangya IMIE Retina Trial Restores 0.1 Vision

In Xiangya Hospital's invasive IMIE smart retina trial, a 61-year-old fully blind patient reportedly reached 0.03 stable and 0.1 best visual acuity, walking indoors unaided.

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