Professor of ophthalmology Daniel Palanker is a physicist who has combined his skills in optics and electronics to create PRIMA – the Photovoltaic Retinal Implant. Inserted beneath the retina, it restores vision to patients blinded by retinal degeneration, allowing them to read and write – and with the next-generation software, to recognize faces. PRIMA’s photovoltaic pixels act like tiny solar panels, converting light into electricity to stimulate the remaining retinal neurons. Better yet, the growing field of brain-computer interfaces may have implications beyond ophthalmology. “Unlike medicine, where the road ends with curing a disease or restoring lost function, the prospects for brain-machine interfaces may be infinite,” Palanker tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.
Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu.
Episode Reference Links:
Connect With Us:
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces guest Daniel Palanker, a professor of ophthalmology and electrical engineering at Stanford University.
(00:03:17) Path into Ophthalmology
How Palanker’s background in physics and optics led him to vision research.
(00:04:33) How Vision Works
A primer on the eye, retina, photoreceptors, and the neural code of sight.
(00:08:50) Retinal Degeneration
How diseases like macular degeneration and inherited retinal disorders damage vision.
(00:13:18) The PRIMA Implant
How a photovoltaic retinal implant converts light into electrical stimulation.
(00:15:05) Augmented Reality Glasses
How camera-equipped glasses amplify and project images to power the implant.
(00:17:42) From Reading to Face Recognition
Why grayscale vision is the next step toward recognizing faces.
(00:20:18) Implanting the Device
How the wireless chip is placed under the retina and powered by light.
(00:21:45) Replaceable Vision Technology
How future generations of implants could be swapped in for higher resolution.
(00:22:28) Limits of Resolution
Why geometry and proximity to neurons determine how small pixels can get.
(00:24:00) Moving to 3D Electrodes
How pillar-shaped electrodes help neurons move closer to the implant.
(00:26:28) Clinical Path Forward
The status of European trials, FDA discussions, and future patient access.
(00:28:10) Safety and Real-World Use
What trials reveal about surgical risks, durability, and patients using implants at home.
(00:30:11) Future In a Minute
Rapid-fire Q&A: neural coding, brain-machine interfaces, and restoring vision.
Connect With Us:
Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
