Chip implant allows blind to see

According to research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, one blind person was able to identify objects placed in front of him, as well as walking round a room independently, reading a clock face and differentiating seven shades of grey. The device has been developed by Retinal Implant and the Insitute for Ophthalmic Research at the University of Tuebingen. The chip could potentially improve the lives of up to 200,000 people worldwide who suffer from blindness as a result of retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that prevents light receptors in the eye from functioning. The device is known as a subretinal implant and sits underneath the retina, directly replacing light receptors lost in retinal degeneration. As such, it uses the eyes' natural image processing capabilities beyond the light detection stage to produce a visual perception in the patient that is stable and follows their eye movements. Other types of retinal implants - known as epiretinal implants - sit outside the retina and because they bypass the intact light sensitive structures in the eyes they require the user to wear an external camera and processor unit. Prof Dr Eberhart Zrenner, founding director of Retinal Implant and director and chairman of the University of Tuebingen Eye Hospital, said: "The results of this pilot study provide strong evidence that the visual functions of patients blinded by a hereditary retinal dystrophy can, in principle, be restored to a degree sufficient for use in daily life." The subretinal implant described in this paper achieves unprecedented clarity because it has a great deal more light receptors than other similar devices. Prof Zrenner said the present study presents 'proof of concept that such devices can restore useful vision in blind human subjects, even though the ultimate goal of broad clinical application will take time to develop'.