Xpanceo, the Dubai-based deep tech unicorn developing smart contact lenses, and Intra-Ker, an Italian medtech startup, recently announced the first working prototype of an implantable device designed to restore vision for patients with corneal blindness. Early tests, including on a human donor eye, showed the system projecting clear images directly to the retina, bypassing the cornea entirely.
The announcement reframes corneal blindness as a challenge of information delivery. Normally, light passes through the transparent cornea, then through the lens of the eye before being converted into neural signals by the retina. When the cornea is clouded or scarred, the pathway is blocked even if the retina itself is healthy. Donor tissue can help, but it is scarce, and even after transplant, some patients remain legally blind.
Xpanceo and Intra-Ker’s device receives a video feed captured by external smart glasses with an embedded camera. Data is transmitted wirelessly using the same communication and power protocols Xpanceo developed for its smart contact lens prototypes. The microdisplay then projects images directly onto the retina, restoring visual input without relying on corneal transparency.
In the lab, researchers first validated the implant in a fluid medium that mimicked intraocular conditions. They then implanted the prototype into a donor eye, where it produced clearly distinguishable retinal images. The current version combines a 450-by-450 pixel display with a micro-optical projection system into a 5.6-millimeter package. “For clinical use, we aim to miniaturize the entire system,” said Dr. Valentyn Volkov, founder of Xpanceo.
Volkov places the work in a broader context. According to the World Health Organization, over 12 million people are awaiting corneal transplants. “We see this as the beginning of a new era, where advanced optics and computation can bridge longstanding gaps in vision care,” he said.
“Until now, implanting electronics in the anterior segment of the eye has not met with success,” said Professor Massimo Busin of Intra-Ker. “With only 185,000 traditional corneal transplants performed each year, we see a critical need for solutions that don’t rely on donor tissues.” The implant represents a paradigm shift away from biology to engineered solutions that focus on information delivery.
Header image credit: Amanda Dalbjörn on Unsplash
Charlie Fink is the author of the AR-enabled books “Metaverse,” (2017) and “Convergence” (2019). In the early 90s, Fink was EVP & COO of VR pioneer Virtual World Entertainment. He teaches at Chapman University in Orange, CA.
More from AR Insider…
