Dubai Advances Digital Eyecare: Implant May Bypass Cornea

Dubai-based technologists are forging a path beyond donor-dependent corneal treatments with an innovative eye implant that projects images directly onto the retina, offering hope to the more than 12 million people awaiting transplants. This emerging Dubai advance could bypass cornea entirely, founder Dr Valentyn Volkov of Xpanceo asserts, marking a potential leap forward in restoring sight for those with corneal blindness.

Xpanceo, rooted in Dubai Knowledge Village, partnering with Italian start-up Intra-Ker, has unveiled a proof-of-concept intracorneal microdisplay implant. Designed as a sealed, biocompatible unit no more complex to install than typical corneal surgery, it houses a 450×450-pixel micro-optical projection system within a compact 5.6 mm package. External smart glasses capture scenes via camera; data is sent wirelessly to the implant, which beams images straight to the retina—eliminating the need for a transparent cornea.

With only about 185,000 donor corneal transplants completed annually worldwide—and many grafts failing due to rejection or other complications—this technology could dramatically shift the terrain of vision restoration. Dr Volkov describes the work as “the beginning of a new era,” where computation and optics could bridge longstanding gaps in care. Professor Massimo Busin, CEO of Intra-Ker, emphasises that embedding electronics in the eye’s anterior segment had been deemed unfeasible—yet now it's possible thanks to proprietary micro-engineering.

Early tests using donor eyes and smart glasses demonstrated that the implant can produce clearly distinguishable images on the retina. The teams now plan to miniaturise the system for clinical readiness, targeting trials within two years. However, challenges remain: safety, long-term biocompatibility, visual clarity, and notably cost—though the implant may ultimately approach the price of a high-end smartphone.

In parallel, Xpanceo recently raised US$250 million in Series A funding, achieving unicorn status with a valuation of US$1.35 billion. The round, led by Opportunity Venture, supports further development of their smart-contact-lens and ocular-computing platforms. The funds will bolster R\&D, operations, and preparation for regulatory pathways.