Bionic Eye Could Restore Sight

Recruitment has begun for the first UK trial of a bionic eye which can restore sight to blind people.
The microchip implant has been tested in Germany, where it allowed patients to read letters and recognise objects. The chip fits under the retina and works like a digital film camera. A 3mm sq array of 1,500 light sensors sends pulsed electrical signals to adjoining nerve cells, which relay the message to the brain.
The chip is designed to help patients with retinitis pigmentosa. One in 3,000 people in the UK have the disease.
Surgeons at King’s College Hospital in London are now preparing for a follow up study. They hope to select 6 patients for the trial in March.