Why did a brain-computer interface company reach patients first with a retinal implant? · Grey Matter

The retina is part of the brain that a surgeon can reach through the eye, and in macular degeneration its output cells and the optic nerve still work after the photoreceptors die.

Why did a brain-computer interface company reach patients first with a retinal implant?

The retina is part of the brain that a surgeon can reach through the eye, and in macular degeneration its output cells and the optic nerve still work after the photoreceptors die. A chip under the retina only has to replace the light sensors, and the brain's own visual wiring does the rest. Science Corporation also bought a device already deep in testing: PRIMA, designed at Stanford, came with Pixium Vision's trial when Pixium was liquidated in 2024, and its results in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025 led to the CE mark in July 2026.