Platinum could be the key to helping people with little or no sight in a new surgery being trialled in America.

Results of artificial retina surgery using platinum electrodes have been revealed this week by researchers at the University of Southern California and the Doheny Eye Institute's Doheny Retina Institute.

So far six patients have been testing the new technology that involves the implantation of an artificial retina or intraocular retinal prosthesis.

The retina has been developed and created with Second Sight Medical Products of California and involves a four-by-four grid of platinum electrodes set in silicone rubber, which are then wirelessly stimulated through an external controller.

Findings have indicated that the six patients who have had a single prosthesis in their problem eye for between five and 33 months were able to detect light, identify objects and even distinguish motion.

The platinum electrodes are key to the technology since researchers have noted when there is no electricity running through the device, the participants do not show any improvement in perceptual acuity.

Although so far people using the technology have had little or no sight due to the eye disease retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the device could also be used for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The diseases impair vision by destroying retinal cells that allow light to be transformed into recognisable images, but the platinum technology helps to replace those cells.