An artificial platinum and silicon retina has been successfully used to restore the vision of a British retiree.

Eric Selby had been completely blind and dependent on a guide dog for 20 years, but has since had his sight restored after a surgical implant was installed in his right eye, reports the Associated Press.

The Argus II implant was developed by US-based company Second Sight, and is currently awaiting permission from regulators to market the device in the European Union.

Sixty eight-year-old Mr Selby's platinum chip receives information from a tiny camera installed on his glasses via a radio transmitter. The information is then transported down the optic nerve and interpreted by the brain, enabling sight perception.

Mr Selby told the news agency: "It's basically flashes of light that you have to translate in your brain, but it's amazing I can see anything at all."

A similar chip designed by engineers at the Doheny Eye Institute in Los Angeles was successfully used to restore the sight of a blind woman in 2008.

Linda Moorfoot suffered from a condition known as retinitis pigmentosa, but had her sight restored using the platinum chip and camera technology.

Source:



Artificial retina helps some blind people (16/02/2011)



Platinum chip allows woman to see again 21st April 2008 (21/04/2008)
 

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