IntelliMicro Medical (微智医疗)
Chinese name: 微智医疗器械有限公司 (IntelliMicro Medical Co., Ltd.) HQ: Changsha, Hunan Province, China Founded: March 2018 Website: intellimicro.cn
Overview
IntelliMicro Medical is a Chinese medical-device company developing the IMIE 256 (Intelligent Micro Implant Eye), a 256-channel epiretinal prosthesis for end-stage retinitis pigmentosa. It is the only enterprise in which Caltech holds equity outside the United States, and a key enterprise imported by Hunan Province.1
The company was established jointly by California Institute of Technology, Golden Eye Bionics (Pasadena, CA), and core scientists including:
- Mark S. Humayun — US National Medal of Technology and Innovation (2015); pioneer of the Argus II retinal prosthesis
- Yu-Chong Tai — Robert Bosch MEMS Award (2015); Caltech EE/BE
- Robert Grubbs — Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2005)
The company has 7,500 m² of R&D and production space including MEMS workshop, implant workshop, external device workshop, surgical training, and rehabilitation facilities.
IMIE 256 device
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Epiretinal prosthesis |
| Channels | 256 (248 large + 8 small electrodes) |
| Large electrode | 210 µm diameter, 350 µm pitch |
| Small electrode | 160 µm diameter, 300 µm pitch |
| Substrate | Parylene-C, flexible |
| Array size | 4.75 mm × 6.50 mm |
| Encapsulation | Multilayer corrosion-resistant barriers |
| External system | Custom glasses with HD camera → processor → wireless signal → intraocular implant |
The 6 mm diameter high-density electrode array is placed on the 0.4 mm thick macular tissue, fixed with a 250 µm micro-tack. The 256-channel flexible electrode array directly stimulates macular ganglion cells, bypassing degenerated photoreceptors. The signal travels along the optic nerve to the visual cortex to form bionic vision.2
Clinical trials
First-in-human (2021)
5 subjects with end-stage RP, implanted in right eyes. 90-day visual rehabilitation programme. All performed significantly better on grating/Tumbling E visual acuity, direction of motion, square localisation, and orientation/mobility tests. 99.9% electrode success rate (1279/1280 functioning). 1 adverse event: electrode array movement + low intraocular pressure (resolved).1
Xu H, et al. “First human results with the 256 channel intelligent micro implant eye (IMIE 256).” Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2021;10(10):14.
Funded by: Hunan Province Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Project (2019GK5024); Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation (820MS152).
Xiangya breakthrough (June 2026)
On 5 June 2026, Prof. Xu Huizhuo (许惠卓)‘s team at Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, announced the domestic IMIE’s first totally blind subject achieved basic Chinese character recognition and independent indoor walking. The 61-year-old patient (RP, blind for over a decade) was implanted in April 2026, with Mark Humayun providing intraoperative guidance. This filled the gap in China’s domestic artificial retinal technology.2
Patents
IntelliMicro holds multiple Chinese and PCT patents on implant apparatus and visual prosthesis design:
- CN111588984B — “Implanted retina electric stimulator and implant thereof” — filed 2020-05-27, granted 2021-02-19, active to 2040-05-27. Annular shell + suture hooks (non-closed loop, same side) for scleral fixation; reduces suture points and surgical trauma.
- WO2021238415A1 — “Implant apparatus, and visual prosthesis having same” — PCT filed 2021. Metal annular shell with slit; flexible electrode; electronic device package; electrical stimulation loop through annular shell as ground.
- WO2021238419A1 — “Implantation device and visual prosthesis having same” — PCT filed 2021. Annular metal housing with gap; coil for data/energy; stimulation circuit board extending outward.
- WO2021238414A1 — “Implantable retinal electric stimulator and implant thereof” — PCT filed 2021. Ring shell + stimulation circuit + suture hooks.
- CN116596786A — “Image processing method for visual prosthesis” — filed 2023-05-15. Image processing methods for visual prosthesis and storage media.
See visual-prosthesis-patents for full patent entries.
Significance
IntelliMicro represents the first Chinese-developed epiretinal prosthesis to reach clinical trials, bridging the Argus II lineage (Humayun’s work) into China’s domestic medical-device ecosystem. The June 2026 Xiangya result marks China’s first totally blind subject to regain functional vision from a domestically developed retinal prosthesis — a milestone for China’s broader BCI/neuroprosthesis strategy.
Related pages
- retinal-prosthesis — main concept page
- retinal-prosthesis-companies — company comparison schema
- visual-prosthesis-patents — patent entries
- science-corp — PRIMA (subretinal, the other active clinical system)
- cortigent — Argus II lineage (Humayun → Second Sight → Cortigent)
References
- Xu H, et al. “First human results with the 256 channel intelligent micro implant eye (IMIE 256).” Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2021;10(10):14. doi:10.1167/tvst.10.10.14
- Kim J, Seo JM. “Advances in artificial vision systems.” Biomed Eng Lett. 2025;15:1033–1050. doi:10.1007/s13534-025-00513-4
- Moon JY, Sather RN, Montezuma SR. “Overview of Retinal Prosthesis and Future Directions.” Retinal Physician. May 2024;21:9-11.