A miracle eye implant has restored sight to the blind, said the Daily Express. Many newspapers reported this ‘proof of concept’ trial in three patients who were completely blind due to a genetic condition. Each patient had a microchip implanted into one of their eyes, which was designed to convert light patterns into electrical impulses that could be fed into the optic nerve.
All three patients were better able to perceive light and locate light objects on a dark table. Furthermore, one patient could recognise objects such as a cup and a spoon on a table and could determine letters.
As the Daily Express implies, this is exciting research. Although complete vision restoration remains a long way off, a crude improvement in vision from complete blindness is a promising result. As this was a small pilot study, further work is needed to assess how well the device works in a larger group of patients and to refine the surgical technique and the device itself.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Eye implant test ‘successful’
