A partially blind person was able to get some eyesight back owing to a new bionic eye. Ray Flynn, 80, is not alone and there are many others who are being fitted with bionic eye as part of a study that helps people with dry macular degeneration regain partial sight.

In this condition, vision loss takes place at the centre of the eye because a part of the retina known as the macula becomes damaged with age. Currently, there is no treatment for the dry version of the disease.

Patients are being given a new bionic eye implant by the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital doctors. Known as Argus II ‘bionic eye’, Second Sight Medical Products has developed the implant. The implant behind the retina wirelessly communicates with a camera worn by patients.

A small chip is implanted behind the eye and the patient has to wear special glasses having the camera. The glasses transmit the data to the chip that helps in stimulating retina cells and triggers brain.

Dr. Paulo Stanga, an ophthalmologist at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, said, “What we’re doing with Ray is try to elicit [visual] function within the area of macular degeneration. When Ray looks at a person in front of him, there is a blurred patch above the shoulders”.

Last month, Flynn underwent four-hour-long surgery and with this, he became the first person to receive the bionic implant to cope up with his macular degeneration condition.