Restoration of Sight with Electronic Retinal Prostheses (2025 review) — excerpt

Record: key excerpt re: companies/devices (ingested 2026-08-30; full text at PMC12994432).

From Table 1 (Device | company | Device type | Main findings | Clinical studies and device status):

• Bionic Eye System (Bionic Vision Technologies) | Suprachoroidal | Stable condition of retina and position at up to 10 years (3 patients) and 5 years (4 patients); perception of light; improvements in mobility and functional vision | 44-channel devices tested in 4 subjects, functional at 2.7 years post-implant; FDA Breakthrough Device Designation; no regulatory approval at the time of this review.
• STS (Nidek) | Suprachoroidal | Object localization | Report on 3 patients with 6-month implants, not commercialized.

From section 3.3 (Suprachoroidal Prostheses):

• About 50% of the electrodes could elicit phosphenes below threshold (1 mA, 0.4 ms pulses at 20 Hz for 1 s). No serious adverse events during the 12-month study.
• Functional testing results mixed: Patient 3 improved in localizing a square on a screen, following a line while walking, finding objects on a table (better with system on vs. off); Patients 1-2 less consistent.
• Bionic Vision Technologies tested two generations: prototype implanted in 3 RP patients (phase I, up to 2 years follow-up, device remained functional and stable in suprachoroidal space, no significant retinal edema or atrophy); phase II second-generation implant with 44 electrodes in 4 patients with advanced RP and bare light perception (Petoe et al. 2021; second report 2.7 years post-implant, Petoe et al. 2025, Ophthalmol Sci 5(1):100525, DOI 10.1016/j.xops.2024.100525).